Cometa Coliverde
Green-tailed Trainbearer
Lesbia nuna
Song
Green-tailed Trainbearer
Appearance: The Green-tailed Trainbearer is a small hummingbird, with males measuring around 16.5 cm in length including their long tail, while females are slightly smaller. Males have a shimmering green body with a long, forked tail that is a vibrant green, which gives the species its name. Females are less colorful, with a more subdued green on the upper parts and a whitish or buff underside, and they have a shorter tail. Both sexes have a straight, slender bill that is well-suited for nectar feeding.
Habitat: The Green-tailed Trainbearer inhabits a range of high-altitude environments, including montane forests, shrublands, and gardens. It is commonly found at elevations between 2000 and 3500 meters above sea level. These birds are often seen in areas with abundant flowering plants, which provide their primary food source.
Behavior: The Green-tailed Trainbearer feeds on nectar from a variety of flowers. It is also known to consume small insects and spiders to supplement its diet. They are agile fliers, capable of hovering in place as they feed, and are known for their rapid and direct flight patterns. Males are territorial and will aggressively defend feeding areas from other hummingbirds and insects.
Breeding: The breeding season varies depending on the location, but it occurs during times of flower abundance. Females build small cup-shaped nests made from plant fibers and lichens, often placed on a branch or in a bush. Females lay two white eggs, which they incubate alone. The male does not participate in raising the young.
Conservation Status: The Green-tailed Trainbearer is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
MALE
FEMALE
Distribution
The Green-tailed Trainbearer is found in the central and eastern range of the Andean regions. Not reported in northern Colombia. It is one of several hummingbird species that thrive in the diverse ecosystems found at higher altitudes in the country.
Taxonomy
The Green-tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia nuna)
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves (Birds)
- Order: Caprimulgiformes
- Family: Trochilidae
- Genus: Lesbia
- Species: Lesbia nuna
Vocalization
The vocalizations of the Green-tailed Trainbearer are common of hummingbirds consisting of high-pitched, rapid series of chirps, trills, and whistles. These sounds are for communication between individuals during mating displays and territorial disputes.
Purpose
The Green-tailed Trainbearer plays a crucial role in its ecosystem through pollination. As it feeds on nectar from flowers, it inadvertently transfers pollen from one bloom to another, facilitating plant reproduction. This mutualistic relationship benefits both the birds, which gain sustenance, and the plants, which achieve cross-pollination.
In addition to pollination, the Green-tailed Trainbearer also contributes to the control of insect populations. While nectar is its primary food source, it also consumes small insects and spiders, which provide essential proteins.
The Green-tailed Trainbearer is an important component of its habitat that contributes to the health and diversity of its ecosystem through its feeding and pollination activities.
