Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem
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Quick Facts
- Scientific Name: Lampornis amethystinus
- Spanish Name: Colibrí gorjiamatista
- Family: Trochilidae
- Known Nicknames: Amethyst-throated Hummingbird, Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem
- Average Length: 10–12 cm / 3.9–4.7 in
- Average Weight: 5–7 g / 0.18–0.25 oz
- Wingspan: N/A
- Key Feature: Iridescent amethyst (purple) throat patch in males
- Primary Diet: Nectarivore (primarily nectar), also small arthropods
- Range: Mexico to Honduras and El Salvador
- Habitat: Humid montane evergreen forest and cloud forest edges
- Social Structure: Solitary, territorial
- Nesting/Breeding: Small cup nest on a horizontal branch or in a shrub
- Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
- Population Trend: Stable
The Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem (*Lampornis amethystinus*) is a dazzling hummingbird endemic to the highland forests of Mexico and northern Central America, where its iridescent plumage glimmers in the misty canopy. Males are unmistakable, sporting a brilliant, glittering amethyst-purple throat patch (gorget) that flares like a jewel in the sunlight, contrasting with a metallic green body, white belly, and a deeply forked, dark blue tail. Females, while lacking the vivid gorget, feature a pale cinnamon throat and underparts. A unique characteristic of this species is its specialized brush-tipped tongue, adapted for extracting nectar from tubular flowers, and its remarkable tolerance for cool, high-altitude environments—often foraging in oak-pine forests at elevations up to 3,500 meters. These agile fliers also play a vital role as pollinators, defending rich flower patches with fierce territorial dives, making them a living gem of the cloud forest.
Fun Facts
Despite its jewel-like name, the Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem engages in a peculiar feeding strategy called "trap-lining," where it memorizes the location of specific flowers along a regular route, returning to them precisely when they refill with nectar. It also performs a unique aerial display where the male flies in wide, pendulum-like arcs above the canopy to attract a mate, his iridescent throat flashing like a strobe light. To survive chilly high-altitude nights, this hummingbird can enter a state of torpor, dropping its body temperature by over 20°C to conserve energy, essentially becoming a tiny, cold-stunned gem until morning.
Habitats & Distribution
This hummingbird inhabits humid montane forests, cloud forests, and adjacent edges, typically at elevations between 900 and 3,000 meters. It is often found in shady, moss-laden areas with abundant epiphytes and flowering understory plants, such as bromeliads and shrubs. Its geographical range extends from southern Mexico through the highlands of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, with disjunct populations also occurring in northern Nicaragua. The species is generally resident within its range, though it may make minor elevational movements in response to seasonal flowering.
Behaviours & Reproduction
Males are highly territorial and defend feeding territories rich in nectar-producing flowers, which they use to attract females through hovering displays and chipping calls. There is no pair bond; males mate with multiple females and take no part in nesting or parental care. Females build a small cup-shaped nest of plant fibers and spider webs, often on a horizontal branch, where they lay two white eggs. The female alone incubates the eggs for about 15–18 days and feeds the nestlings regurgitated insects and nectar until fledging at around 20–24 days. A unique reproductive strategy includes the female’s ability to time breeding with peak flowering seasons, ensuring abundant food for her young in its montane cloud forest habitat.
Diet
The Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem is a nectar specialist, primarily feeding on the high-energy sugar water from a variety of tubular flowers found in its highland cloud forest habitat, such as those of the genera *Fuchsia*, *Salvia*, and *Centropogon*. An interesting fact about its diet is that, like many hummingbirds, it also consumes small insects and spiders to obtain essential protein, fats, and minerals, which are crucial for feather production and muscle maintenance. To access this prey, it often gleans them from leaves and bark or snatches them from the air in short sallies, and it will occasionally supplement its diet by drinking tree sap from holes drilled by woodpeckers.
Colors
The Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem has an iridescent green back and crown, a grayish breast, and a brilliant violet-amethyst throat patch that shimmers in light. The male’s tail is forked with dark blue-green central feathers and white outer tips, while the female lacks the throat patch, having a pale gray throat and buff belly. No specific camouflage adaptations are noted beyond its green upperparts blending with forest canopy.
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