Plain-capped Starthroat
Heliomaster constantii
The plain-capped starthroat is 11 to 13 cm (4.3 to 5.1 in) long. Males weigh about 7.4 g (0.26 oz) and females about 7.2 g (0.25 oz). Both sexes of all subspecies have a long, almost straight, black bill and a white streak behind the eye. The sexes have essentially the same plumage. The nominate subspecies has metallic bronze green upperparts with a wide white streak on the rump; the crown is less metallic than the rest. Much of the face is dusky, with a wide white "moustache". The chin is sooty to blackish and the gorget ranges from several shades of bright metallic red to purplish red. Voice: The plain-capped starthroat's song is "a series of sharp chips interspersed with varied chips, chip chip chip pi-chip chip chip ...., or chi chi chi chi whit-it chi ...". Its calls include "a high-pitched, fairly soft and melodious slurred tseep or cheek", "a sharp, fairly loud peek", and during chases "a high pitched, piercing twitter".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Stripe-breasted Starthroat
Heliomaster squamosus
The stripe-breasted starthroat is 11.2 to 12.4 cm (4.4 to 4.9 in) long and weighs 5 to 6.5 g (0.18 to 0.23 oz). Both sexes have a long, slightly decurved, black bill, a white streak behind the eye, and a white "moustache". Both have a forked tail but the female's is less deeply indented than the male's. Males in breeding plumage have bronzy green upperparts with an iridescent green crown. Their gorget is glittering violet and the sides of it flare out. Their underparts are greenish-black with a white stripe down the middle. The central tail feathers are black and the rest are dark blue-green. Voice: What is thought to be the stripe-breasted starthroat's song is "a subdued, buzzy scratchy warble 'bzzzrrrr..bzzzrrr..chi-chi-chi-chi..bzrrr'." It also makes "a liquid 'tsik'" call.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Plain-capped Starthroat and Stripe-breasted Starthroat.