Picudo Gorgiestrella
Long-billed Starthroat
Heliomaster longirostris
Song
Long-billed Starthroat
Appearance: The Long-billed Starthroat is a fairly large hummingbird, about 11–12 cm long. It has a long, nearly straight black bill, bronzy-green upperparts, and a small white spot behind the eye. The male has a glittering blue to greenish-blue crown, dark face, white moustache-like stripe, metallic purple throat, grayish breast, whitish belly, and a rather short square-tipped tail with some white tips. The female is similar but duller, with less blue on the crown and a narrower, grayer throat patch.
Habitat: It lives mostly in humid semi-open habitats, especially forest edges, gallery forest, secondary forest, pastures with scattered trees, isolated woodland, gardens, plantations, and flowering trees. It usually avoids the deep interior of closed forest. It is mainly a lowland and foothill species, from sea level to about 1,500 m.
Behavior: It feeds mainly on nectar, especially from large flowering trees, vines, shrubs, and Heliconia. It may follow a circuit of flowers or defend a rich flowering tree. It also catches small insects in the air and sometimes gleans them from vegetation. Its movements are irregular and may follow seasonal flowering.
Breeding: In northern Colombia, nesting has been recorded at least in September–October and March. The nest is a shallow cup made of plant down, moss, liverworts, spider silk, and lichens, placed on a shrub, exposed branch, or sometimes even a wire. The female lays two white eggs, incubates them for about 18–19 days, and the young fledge about 25–26 days after hatching.
Conservation Status: The Long-billed Starthroat is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
MALE
FEMALE
Distribution
Caribbean Lowlands: Occurs locally in northern Colombia, especially around forest edges, plantations, gardens, and flowering trees.
Magdalena Valley: Found in lowland and foothill habitats with gallery forest, secondary growth, and semi-open woodland.
Pacific Region: Can occur in humid lowlands and forest-edge habitats.
Orinoco and Amazon Regions: Present in eastern and southeastern Colombia in gallery forest, forest borders, and open areas with scattered flowering trees.
Foothills of the Andes: Occurs locally along lower Andean slopes, usually below about 1,500 m.
Taxonomy
The Long-billed Starthroat (Heliomaster longirostris)
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves (Birds)
- Order: Caprimulgiformes
- Family: Trochilidae
- Genus: Heliomaster
- Species: longirostris
Vocalization
Song: A repeated series of high, sharp, slightly squeaky notes, often described as “tseet-tseet-tseet” or “tsip-tsip-tsip.” It is simple and rather dry.
Call: A short, sharp “tchip,” “tsip,” or “tseep” note, usually given while flying, feeding, or moving between flowering trees.
Flight Call: A quick, high note given in flight, especially when moving through forest edge or semi-open areas.
Territorial Call: Rapid, squeaky chips may be heard when individuals interact around nectar sources or flowering trees.
Mechanical Sound: The wings may produce a soft humming sound in flight, but this is not a true vocal call.
