About the Wire-crested Thorntail
The wire-crested thorntail is a hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in humid forests in the Andean foothills of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and possibly Bolivia.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The wire-crested thorntail is one of the smallest birds on Earth, with a mature weight of about 2.5 g (0.088 oz). Males are about 11.4 cm (4.5 in) long, including tail extension, and females about 7.5 to 8.2 cm (3.0 to 3.2 in). Adults of both sexes have coppery green upperparts with a white band across the rump. Males have a glittering green crown with a thin hair-like crest. Its gorget is iridescent green, the flanks brownish with a white patch, and the rest of the underparts black. Voice: The only wire-crested thorntail vocalization that has been described is a "quiet, somewhat liquid 'tew'."
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in November · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Black-bellied ThorntailDiscosura langsdorffiThe black-bellied thorntail weighs about 3.2 g (0.11 oz).
Racket-tipped ThorntailDiscosura longicaudusMale racket-tipped thorntails are 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) long and females about 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 in).
Green ThorntailDiscosura conversiiMale green thorntails are about 9.5 to 10.2 cm (3.7 to 4.0 in) long and females about 6.6 to 7.5 cm (2.6 to 3.0 in).
Learn the Wire-crested Thorntail for real
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