Rumbito Diminuto
Gorgeted Woodstar
Chaetocercus heliodor
Song
Gorgeted Woodstar
Appearance: The Gorgeted Woodstar is one of the smallest hummingbirds, only about 6 cm long. The male is mostly dark metallic green or blue-green above, with a shining pinkish-purple gorget across the throat, pale grayish breast, white flank spots, and a very short forked tail with thin outer feathers. The female is bronzy green above, with a rufous rump, cinnamon-rufous underparts, and a rounded cinnamon tail with a blackish band near the end.
Habitat: It lives in humid Andean mountain habitats, especially edges of humid forest, forest clearings, coffee plantations, semi-open areas with shrubs and trees, and sometimes the lower edge of páramo. It is most often found from about 1,200 to 3,000 m elevation.
Behavior: It feeds mainly on nectar, especially from flowering trees such as Inga, and also catches small insects by flying out from a perch. It usually forages from middle levels up to the canopy. Like other woodstars, it has a slow, bumblebee-like flight and often does not strongly defend feeding territories.
Breeding: In parts of Colombia, the breeding season is reported from about April to October. The female builds a tiny cup nest of soft plant material, lichens, leaf pieces, small twigs, and spider web, attached to a branch. Detailed breeding information is still limited.
Conservation Status: The Gorgeted Woodstar is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
MALE
FEMALE
Distribution
Central Andes: Local records occur in the Central Andes of Colombia. One published note mentions the species as occurring locally in Colombia’s Central Andes.
Eastern Andes: It has been recorded in the Eastern Andes, including Cundinamarca.
Western Andes: There is at least one reported sighting from Antioquia in the Western Andes.
Taxonomy
The Name of Bird (Chaetocercus heliodor
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves (Birds)
- Order: Caprimulgiformes
- Family: Trochilidae
- Genus: Chaetocercus
- Species: heliodor
Vocalization
Single Call: A dry, sharp “chit” note, often given while hovering or feeding.
Double Call: A quick doubled “chi-chit” or “chichit.”
Triple Call: A fast “chi-chi-chit” or “chichichit.”
Feeding Call: These short dry notes are often heard when the bird is visiting flowers, hovering, or moving around a feeding area.
Flight Call: Like other woodstars, it may also make a soft, bumblebee-like wing sound in flight, but this is a mechanical wing sound, not a true vocal call.
