Picoespina Dorsinegro
Black-backed Thornbill
Ramphomicron dorsale
Song
Black-backed Thornbill
Appearance: The Black-backed Thornbill is a small hummingbird, measuring about 9 to 10 cm in length. Males have a distinctive black back, which gives the species its name. They display an iridescent green crown and throat, with a contrasting white belly. Females are less colorful, with more muted green upperparts and a pale grayish underbelly. Both sexes have a straight, slender bill adapted for feeding on nectar.
Habitat: This endemic species is found in high-altitude montane forests and páramo ecosystems, ranging from 2,400 to 3,800 m above sea level in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It prefers areas with abundant flowering plants, which provide nectar.
Behavior: The Black-backed Thornbill feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants. It may also consume small insects and spiders to supplement its diet. It is capable of rapid and agile flight, which is essential for hovering while feeding. Males are known to be territorial around feeding areas, and may aggressively defend their feeding sites from other hummingbirds.
Breeding: Specific breeding behaviors of the Black-backed Thornbill are not well-documented. They are likely to build small cup-shaped nests made of plant fibers and spider silk. Breeding seasons can vary depending on the availability of food resources.
Conservation Status: The Black-backed Thornbill is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
MALE
FEMALE
Distribution
This species is endemic to Colombia, meaning it is found nowhere else in the world. Its distribution is limited to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia by the Atlantic Ocean.
Taxonomy
The Black-backed Thornbill (Ramphomicron dorsale)
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves (Birds)
- Order: Caprimulgiformes
- Family: Trochilidae
- Genus: Ramphomicron
- Species: Ramphomicron dorsale
Vocalization
The Black-backed Thornbill is a species of hummingbird found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It is known for its rapid and high-pitched vocalizations, although detailed descriptions of its specific vocal patterns are not extensively documented.
Hummingbird vocalizations include a variety of chirps, trills, and whistles, which they use for communication and territorial displays.
If you're interested in hearing the vocalizations of the Black-backed Thornbill, you might find recordings on birding websites or databases such as the Macaulay Library or Xeno-canto, which archive bird sounds from around the world.
