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The sapphire-spangled emerald is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is regularly found in Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela; as a vagrant in Argentina; and has possibly occurred in Ecuador.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The sapphire-spangled emerald is 8 to 11 cm (3.1 to 4.3 in) long and weighs 3.6 to 5 g (0.13 to 0.18 oz). Both sexes of all subspecies have a medium length straight bill with a blackish maxilla and a pinkish to horn colored mandible with a darkish to blackish tip. Males of the nominate subspecies C. l. lactea have golden- to bronze-green upperparts with bronze-green crown, neck, and flanks. Their throat and upper breast are glittering violet-blue, the center of their lower breast white, their belly grayish, and their undertail coverts whitish with brown streaks. Voice: The sapphire-spangled emerald's song is "a repeated buzzy insect-like, high-pitched trill, tzee … tzitzitzee … tzitzitzee … tzitzitzee or tseeririri...tseeririri…. It also makes "tsip" and "chup" call notes.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in October · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Learn the Sapphire-spangled Emerald for real
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