Coppery Metaltail
Metallura theresiae
The Coppery Metaltail (Metallura theresiae) is a rare hummingbird found only in Peru, weighing about 5 g. The coppery metaltail is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae.
About the Coppery Metaltail
The coppery metaltail is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is endemic to Peru.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The coppery metaltail is 10 to 10.5 cm (3.9 to 4.1 in) long and weighs about 5 g (0.18 oz). It has a medium length, straight, black bill. The adult male of the nominate subspecies has reddish bronze to reddish coppery upperparts with a greenish tone to the rump and uppertail coverts. Its slightly forked tail is bronze green with violet reflections on its upper side and shining bronze green on its underside. The sides of its head and neck are reddish bronze and its narrow gorget is glittering golden green. The rest of its underparts are a somewhat less reddish bronze green than the upperparts. Voice: The coppery metaltail's vocalizations have been described as a "series of frail zeee calls, often alternating with ttrrrt notes" and also as "a jerky, wiry chatter similar to Tyrian Metaltail , but perhaps lower, less emphatic, with buzzier notes."
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: February, March, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in October. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Coppery Metaltail?
- The coppery metaltail is 10 to 10.5 cm (3.9 to 4.1 in) long and weighs about 5 g (0.18 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Coppery Metaltail?
- The Coppery Metaltail is a tiny sized bird weighing about 5 g.
- Where can you see a Coppery Metaltail?
- The Coppery Metaltail is endemic to Peru, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Coppery Metaltail?
- The Coppery Metaltail is most easily confused with the Scaled Metaltail, the Violet-throated Metaltail and the Perija Metaltail.
- Is the Coppery Metaltail endangered?
- The Coppery Metaltail is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Coppery Metaltail for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.