Rufous-throated Sapphire
Hylocharis sapphirina
The Rufous-throated Sapphire (Hylocharis sapphirina) is a rare hummingbird found in 11 countries, weighing about 4 g. The rufous-throated sapphire is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae.
About the Rufous-throated Sapphire
The rufous-throated sapphire is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guianas, Peru, Venezuela and possibly Argentina and Paraguay.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The rufous-throated sapphire is 8.4 to 9.1 cm (3.3 to 3.6 in) long. Males weigh 4.1 to 4.5 g (0.14 to 0.16 oz) and females 3.9 to 4.3 g (0.14 to 0.15 oz). Males have a medium length, straight, coral red bill with a black tip; females' bills have less red. The species gets its English name from the males' intensely rufous chin; females' chins are a paler rufous. Adult males have dark green upperparts with coppery violet uppertail coverts. Their throat, chest, and belly are iridescent violet-blue and their undertail coverts chestnut. Voice: The Venezuelan and Brazilian populations of rufous-throated sapphire have different songs. The former is "a series of 4–7 bright, high-pitched notes...repeated every few seconds, 'sping...sping...sping ...' or more bisyllabic 'sping...spewee...spewee...spewee'." In Amzonian and southeastern Brazil it is "an irregularly repeated, drawn-out, high-pitched downslurred 'seeeeeee'.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Argentina.
When to see it
The Rufous-throated Sapphire can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Rufous-throated Sapphire?
- The rufous-throated sapphire is 8.4 to 9.1 cm (3.3 to 3.6 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Rufous-throated Sapphire?
- The Rufous-throated Sapphire is a tiny sized bird weighing about 4 g.
- Where can you see a Rufous-throated Sapphire?
- The Rufous-throated Sapphire occurs in 11 countries, including Brazil, Guyana, Ecuador, Suriname and French Guiana.
- What birds look similar to a Rufous-throated Sapphire?
- The Rufous-throated Sapphire is most easily confused with the Gilded Sapphire.
- Is the Rufous-throated Sapphire endangered?
- The Rufous-throated Sapphire is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Rufous-throated Sapphire for real
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