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Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Central America, Central and South America. As of 2024, 21 hummingbird species are listed as Endangered species, endangered or critically endangered, with numerous species declining in population. Hummingbirds have varied specialized characteristics to enable rapid, maneuverable flight: exceptional metabolism, metabolic capacity, adaptations to high altitude, sensitive visual and communication abilities, and long-distance migration in some species. Among all birds, male hummingbirds have the widest diversity of plumage color, particularly in blues, greens, and purples. Hummingbirds are the smallest mature birds, measuring in length. The smallest is the bee hummingbird, which weighs less than , and the largest is the giant hummingbird, weig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giant Hummingbird
The giant hummingbirds are Hummingbird, hummingbirds of the genus ''Patagona''. The genus includes two species, the northern giant hummingbird, sedentary giant hummingbird and the southern giant hummingbird, migratory giant hummingbird, which are the largest and second largest species of hummingbird respectively. Taxonomy The giant hummingbird was species description, described and illustrated in 1824 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot based on a specimen that Vieillot mistakenly believed had been collected in Brazil. The type locality (biology), type locality was designated as Valparaíso in Chile by Carl Eduard Hellmayr in 1945. The giant hummingbird was the only species placed in the genus ''Patagona'' when introduced by George Robert Gray in 1840. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the giant hummingbird has no close relatives and is sister taxon, sister to the hummingbird subfamily Trochilinae, a large clade containing the Tribe (biology), tribes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patagoninae
The giant hummingbirds are hummingbirds of the genus ''Patagona''. The genus includes two species, the sedentary giant hummingbird and the migratory giant hummingbird, which are the largest and second largest species of hummingbird respectively. Taxonomy The giant hummingbird was described and illustrated in 1824 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot based on a specimen that Vieillot mistakenly believed had been collected in Brazil. The type locality was designated as Valparaíso in Chile by Carl Eduard Hellmayr in 1945. The giant hummingbird was the only species placed in the genus ''Patagona'' when introduced by George Robert Gray in 1840. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the giant hummingbird has no close relatives and is sister to the hummingbird subfamily Trochilinae, a large clade containing the tribes Lampornithini (mountain gems), Mellisugini (bees) and Trochilini (emeralds). Two subspecies were previously recognised: * ''P. g. peruviana ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurotrochilus
''Eurotrochilus'' is an extinct genus of stem group hummingbirds (Trochilidae) and are the closest known relatives of the crown group Trochilidae. Despite ''Eurotrochilus'' being morphologically very similar to modern hummingbirds, they still retained several primitive features and are not closely related to any specific extant hummingbird in the crown group. There are currently two described species of ''Eurotrochilus'': ''E. inexpectatus'' and ''E. noniewiczi''. ''Eurotrochilus'' has been dated back to the Rupelian age of the early Oligocene era, which occurred during the Paleogene period. While there is some debate over exactly when ''Eurotrochilus'' was present, the most recent estimate is suggested to be 28 to 34 million years ago. The discovery of ''Eurotrochilus'' fossils in Germany, France, and Poland was extremely important because today all 328 of the extant species of hummingbirds only occur in the New World but the fossils of ''Eurotrochilus'' suggest an Old World or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bee Hummingbird
The bee hummingbird, zunzuncito or Helena hummingbird (''Mellisuga helenae'') is a species of hummingbird, native to the island of Cuba in the Caribbean. It is the smallest known bird. The bee hummingbird feeds on nectar of flowers and bugs found in Cuba. Description The bee hummingbird is the smallest living bird. Females weigh and are long, and are slightly larger than males, which have an average weight of and length of . Like all hummingbirds, it is a swift, strong flier. The male has a green pileum and bright red throat, iridescent gorget with elongated lateral plumes, bluish upper parts, and the rest of the underparts mostly greyish white. Compared to other small hummingbirds, which often have a slender appearance, the bee hummingbird looks rounded and plump. Female bee hummingbirds are bluish green with a pale gray underside. The tips of their tail feathers have white spots. During the mating season, males have a reddish to pink head, chin, and throat. The femal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Florisuginae
Florisuginae is one of the six subfamily, subfamilies in the hummingbird family (biology), family Trochilidae. The subfamily contains two genera, ''Topaza'' and ''Florisuga'', which each contain two species. Phylogeny A molecular phylogenetic study of the hummingbirds published in 2007 found that the family was composed of nine major clades. When Edward C. Dickinson, Edward Dickinson and James Van Remsen, Jr. updated the ''Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World'' for the 4th edition in 2013 they divided the hummingbirds into six subfamily, subfamilies and proposed using the name Florisuginae for the clade consisting of the genera ''Topaza'' and ''Florisuga''. The subfamily Florisuginae had originally been introduced (as Florisugeae) by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1853. Molecular phylogenetic studies by Jimmy McGuire and collaborators published between 2007 and 2014 determined the relationships between the major groups of hummingbirds. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polytminae
Polytminae is one of the six subfamily, subfamilies of the hummingbird family (biology), family Trochilidae. The subfamily contains 12 genera with a total of 29 species. The informal name "mangoes" has been proposed for this group as the seven species in the largest genus, ''Anthracothorax'', include "mango" in their common name. Taxonomy A molecular phylogenetic study of the hummingbirds published in 2007 found that the family consisted of nine clades. When Edward C. Dickinson, Edward Dickinson and James Van Remsen, Jr. updated the ''Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World'' for the 4th edition in 2013 they divided the nine clades into six subfamily, subfamilies and proposed using the Latin name Polytminae for the "mango" clade, a name that had been introduced by Ludwig Reichenbach in 1849. Pre-molecular studies did not anticipate the existence of this clade, but a common feature is the presence of serrations on the cutting edge of the bill. An extreme exa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lesbiinae
Lesbiinae is one of the six subfamilies that make up the hummingbird family Trochilidae. The subfamily is divided into two tribes: Heliantheini ("brilliants") containing 14 genera and Lesbiini ("coquettes") containing 18 genera. Phylogeny A molecular phylogenetic study of the hummingbirds published in 2007 found that the family consisted of nine clades. When Edward Dickinson and James Van Remsen, Jr. updated the ''Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World'' for the 4th edition in 2013 they divided the hummingbird family into six subfamilies and proposed using the name Lesbiinae for a subfamily containing the tribes Heliantheini and Lesbiini. The subfamily Lesbiinae had been introduced by Ludwig Reichenbach in 1854. Molecular phylogenetic studies by Jimmy McGuire and collaborators published between 2007 and 2014 determined the relationships between the major groups of hummingbirds. In the cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "bran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hermit (hummingbird)
The hermits are tropical and subtropical hummingbirds in the subfamily Phaethornithinae, comprising 37 species in six genera. They occur from southern Mexico, through Central America, to South America as far south as northern Argentina. Their plumage typically involves greens, browns, rufous or grey. Most species show some green or bronze iridescence to the upperparts, but this is far less conspicuous than that of many other hummingbirds. The male and female plumages of hermits are very similar, with differences limited to details of bill-shape, tail-shape and/or strength of colours/patterns. Most species of hermit do not show the strong sexual dimorphism usually associated with hummingbirds; green hermit is an exception to this rule. Hermits in the type genus, '' Phaethornis'', have a long decurved bill (except for three species, ''P. koepkeae'', ''P. philippii'' and ''P. bourcieri'', with virtually straight bills) with a red or yellow base to the lower mandible, and their t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trochilinae
Trochilinae is one of the six subfamily, subfamilies that make up the hummingbird family (biology), family Trochilidae. The subfamily is divided into three Tribe (biology), tribes: Lampornithini (mountain gems) containing 18 species, Mellisugini (bees) containing 37 species and Trochilini (emeralds) containing 115 species. Phylogeny The hummingbirds were formerly divided into two subfamilies, the hermits (Phaethornithinae) and the nonhermits (Trochilinae). The results from a 2007 Nucleic acid hybridization, DNA hybridization study suggested that the hermits were basal to the rest of the family. A molecular phylogenetic study of the hummingbirds published in 2007 found that the family consisted of nine clades. When Edward C. Dickinson, Edward Dickinson and James Van Remsen Jr. updated the ''Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World'' for the 4th edition in 2013, they divided the hummingbird family into six subfamily, subfamilies based on the molecular results a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight Bird skeleton, skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the bee hummingbird to the common ostrich. There are over 11,000 living species and they are split into 44 Order (biology), orders. More than half are passerine or "perching" birds. Birds have Bird wing, wings whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which are modified forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the Flightless bird, loss of flight in some birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemism, endemic island species. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trochilus
The streamertails are hummingbirds in the genus ''Trochilus'' that are endemic to Jamaica. It is the type genus of the family Trochilidae. Today, most authorities consider the two taxa in this genus as separate species, but some (e.g. AOU) continue to treat them as conspecific, in which case ''T. scitulus'' is a subspecies of ''T. polytmus''. A wide range of common names applies to this combined species, including green-and-black streamertail, Jamaican streamertail, or simply streamertail. The name "streamertail" is a reference to the greatly elongated rectrices of the males. Taxonomy and species list The genus ''Trochilus'' was introduced in 1758 by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. The genus name is from the Ancient Greek τροχιλος/''trokhilos'', a small unidentified bird mentioned by Aristotle. Later authors assumed the word referred to a wren. The type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoolog ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nectarivore
In zoology, a nectarivore is an animal which derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of the sugar-rich nectar produced by flowering plants. Nectar as a food source presents a number of benefits as well as challenges. It is essentially a solution of (as much as 80%) the simple sugars sucrose, glucose and fructose, which are easily ingested and digested, representing a rich and efficient source of nutrition. This solution is often diluted either by the plant that produces it or by rain falling on a flower and many nectarivores possess adaptations to effectively rid themselves of any excess water ingested this way. However, nectar is an incomplete source of nutrition. While it does contain proteins and amino acids, these are found in low quantities, and it is severely deficient in minerals and vitamins. Very few organisms consume nectar exclusively over their whole life cycle, either supplementing it with other sources, particularl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
