Gren-throated Mountain-gem

Quick Facts

• Scientific Name: Lampornis viridipallens
• Spanish Name: Colibrí garganta granate
• Family: Trochilidae
• Known Nicknames: Green-throated Mountain-gem
• Average Length: 10–12 cm / 3.9–4.7 in
• Average Weight: 5.5–7.0 g / 0.19–0.25 oz
• Wingspan: 13–15 cm / 5.1–5.9 in
• Key Feature: Iridescent green throat and chest with a white postocular stripe
• Primary Diet: Primarily Nectarivore
• Range: Highlands of southern Mexico to northern El Salvador and western Honduras
• Habitat: Montane cloud forest and humid pine-oak forest edges
• Social Structure: Solitary
• Nesting/Breeding: Cup-shaped nest on a horizontal branch or in a shrub
• Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
• Population Trend: Stable

The Gren-throated Mountain-gem (*Lampornis viridipallens*) is a dazzling hummingbird endemic to the highland cloud forests of Central America, from southern Mexico to Honduras. Its most striking feature is the male's brilliant, iridescent emerald-green throat, which can flash vivid turquoise or gold in the light, set against a pale gray breast and a white-tipped, dark tail. Females are more subdued, with a pale throat and a white postocular stripe, but both sexes share a distinctive curved black bill and a shimmering green back. A special adaptation for its chilly, misty habitat is its ability to enter torpor—a deep, energy-saving sleep—on cold nights, while its rapid, buzzy wingbeats and aggressive defense of nectar-rich flowers make it a lively and memorable resident of the canopy.

Fun Facts

Despite its name, the Green-throated Mountain-gem is actually a hummingbird, and males flash an iridescent emerald throat that appears jet black in poor light, a trick of feather structure. They perform a bizarre “pendulum” courtship display, swinging back and forth on a branch like a living metronome to dazzle females. Their tongue can extend nearly twice the length of their bill, and they lap up nectar at 13 licks per second. As a high-altitude specialist, they enter nightly torpor—a mini-hibernation—dropping their body temperature by over 20°F to save energy in the cold mountain air.

Habitats & Distribution

The Green-throated Mountain-gem inhabits humid montane evergreen forests and cloud forests, typically at elevations between 1,000 and 2,500 meters. It is often found along forest edges, in clearings, and near streams, favoring areas with abundant epiphytes and flowering plants. Its geographical range is restricted to the highlands of southern Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala, El Salvador, and western Honduras, where it occurs in isolated mountain ranges like the Sierra Madre de Chiapas and the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes.

Behaviours & Reproduction

The Green-throated Mountain-gem is generally solitary outside of breeding, with males defending small territories centered on rich nectar sources. Mating is polygynous; males court females with aerial displays, including steep dives and high-pitched vocalizations, but provide no parental care after copulation. Females alone build a compact cup nest, often on a fern or branch over a stream, and incubate two white eggs for about 15-18 days. A unique reproductive strategy involves delayed clutch initiation during the rainy season, as the female may pause egg-laying until sufficient insect prey emerges to feed the altricial chicks, ensuring higher fledgling survival.

Diet

The Green-throated Mountain-gem is primarily a nectarivore, relying on the sugary liquid from a variety of flowering plants, particularly those with tubular corollas such as species of *Salvia*, *Fuchsia*, and *Centropogon*. To supplement its high-energy diet, it also consumes small arthropods like spiders and insects, which it catches by hawking (snatching in mid-air) or gleaning from foliage, providing essential protein and fats. An interesting fact is that this hummingbird is a "trap-line" feeder, visiting a specific circuit of flowers in a predictable sequence to efficiently harvest nectar, and it is known to defend rich nectar sources aggressively from other hummingbirds. Additionally, its long, slightly curved bill is perfectly adapted to access nectar from deep flowers that other pollinators cannot reach, making it a key specialist in its cloud forest habitat.

Colors

The Green-throated Mountain-gem features a brilliant emerald-green throat and chest, contrasting with a bronzy-green back and crown. Its belly is pale gray, while the tail is dark with white outer tail feathers visible in flight. Males have a distinctive white postocular stripe, and the species lacks iridescent gorget scales, instead showing a matte green throat that provides camouflage against foliage in its cloud forest habitat.