The bronze-tailed plumeleteer is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Region
Central America and the Chocó bioregion
Typical Environment
Occurs from southeastern Nicaragua through Costa Rica and Panama into western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. It inhabits humid lowland and foothill forests, including edges, secondary growth, and tall plantations such as cocoa and shade coffee. Frequently visits flowering thickets, forest clearings, and streamside vegetation. It is generally common where suitable nectar sources are available and adapts well to semi-open habitats near forest.
Altitude Range
Sea level to about 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This medium-sized hummingbird is named for the bronzy sheen of its tail and the fluffy leg ‘plumes’ typical of plumeleteers. It vigorously defends rich flower patches but may also follow a trapline between blooms. An important pollinator of Heliconia and other tubular flowers, it also supplements its diet with tiny insects. Sexes differ noticeably, with females showing paler underparts and less intense tail bronzing.
"Red-footed" plumeleteer, C. u. melanorrhoa
Illustration by John Gerrard Keulemans (1902)
Temperament
territorial and assertive around nectar sources
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with sustained hovering
Social Behavior
Typically solitary when feeding, with males defending high-quality flower patches. Courtship involves aerial chases and display flights; there is no long-term pair bond. The female builds a small cup nest of plant fibers and spider silk on a low to mid-level branch and alone incubates and raises the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are a series of high, thin chips and short, buzzy trills, often given during chases. Calls can be rapid and insect-like, and the loud wing hum is frequently heard at close range.
Plumage
Male shows glossy emerald to bluish-green body with a distinctly bronzy to coppery tail; female has green upperparts and grayish-white underparts with green flecking on the flanks and a duller bronzy tail.
Diet
Primarily consumes nectar from tubular flowers such as Heliconia, Hamelia, and Inga. It also takes small arthropods, hawking them in midair or gleaning from foliage to obtain essential proteins. Individuals may defend rich nectar patches or follow a regular route (trapline) among scattered blossoms. Feeding intensity often tracks flowering cycles and local resource availability.
Preferred Environment
Feeds along forest edges, clearings, stream corridors, gardens, and shaded plantations where flowering shrubs and epiphytes are abundant. Often uses mid-story to understory flowers but will ascend to canopy blooms when available.
