Bird Guide

Amethyst-throated Mountaingem vs Green-throated Mountaingem

Amethyst-throated Mountaingem (Lampornis amethystinus)

Amethyst-throated Mountaingem

Lampornis amethystinus

Tiny5 gForest

The amethyst-throated mountaingem is 11.5 to 12.5 cm (4.5 to 4.9 in) long. Males weigh 5 to 7.8 g (0.18 to 0.28 oz) and females 5 to 5.8 g (0.18 to 0.20 oz). Both sexes of all subspecies have a medium-length straight black bill, dark auriculars, a whitish stripe behind the eye, and a broad slightly forked tail. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a dark green crown and back, a bronze rump, and blackish uppertail coverts. The tail is black with gray tips on the outer feathers. It has a brilliant rosy pink gorget. The breast and belly are dusky gray and the undertail coverts pale buff. Voice: The amethyst-throated mountaingem's song is "a quiet chatter made up of a two-syllable introductory phrase followed by a mixture of notes arranged into very complex vocalizations." It may have up to nine complex phrases, and both males and females sing. Both sexes also make a feeding call, "a persistent buzzing sound".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: datadan · CC BY 4.0
Green-throated Mountaingem (Lampornis viridipallens)

Green-throated Mountaingem

Lampornis viridipallens

Tiny5 gForest

The green-throated mountaingem is 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) long and weighs about 5.4 g (0.19 oz). Both sexes of all subspecies have a straight black bill, a white stripe behind the eye above a dark cheek, and a slightly forked tail. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have green upperparts with a bronzy rump and bluish black uppertail coverts. Their central tail feathers are black and the rest pale gray. Their throat is white with bluish green spots, their breast white, their belly grayish with green spots on the sides and flanks, and their undertail coverts dusky gray. Voice: What is thought to be the green-throated mountaingem's song is "a complex warble of squeaky notes and buzzy, gurgling trills, 'tsee-tsee-glr-tsee-glr-tsee-glugluglugluglu-glr-glr-tsee'." Its calls include "a hard, buzzy 'zzrrt', a short 'tsik' and high-pitched thin 'see'."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Fernando Bautista · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Amethyst-throated Mountaingem and Green-throated Mountaingem.