The bronze-tailed thornbill is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
Region
Northern Andes
Typical Environment
Found in the high Andes of Colombia and western Venezuela (notably the Mérida Andes), mainly in páramo and subpáramo zones. It uses shrubby slopes, elfin forest edges, and open areas with abundant tubular flowers. The species is commonly seen around Espeletia stands, Chuquiraga, Siphocampylus, and other high-elevation blossoms. It will also forage along roadsides and streamside thickets where flowers are concentrated.
Altitude Range
2600–4200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This high-Andean hummingbird frequents páramo and subpáramo shrublands, often perching conspicuously atop frailejón (Espeletia) stems. Males show a short, spiky throat tuft that gives the genus its common name, “thornbill.” Despite its tiny size, it aggressively defends rich flowering patches from other hummingbirds. It is adapted to cold, windy conditions typical of the Northern Andes.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile hovering
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly, defending flowering shrubs against other hummingbirds. Courtship involves aerial chases and display perches. The nest is a small cup of plant down and fibers placed in a shrub or sheltered bank, often near reliable flower sources.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives high, thin chips and short buzzy trills, especially during territorial encounters. Wingbeats may add a faint mechanical hum. Vocalizations are subtle and easily masked by wind in páramo habitats.
Plumage
Upperparts mostly bronzy-green with a metallic sheen; underparts dusky gray to brownish with subtle scaling. Tail is distinctly bronzy to coppery with darker subterminal tones. Males show a small, spiky iridescent throat tuft; females lack the developed tuft and have a plainer, lightly spotted throat. Wings are dusky with a satiny gloss.
Diet
Feeds primarily on nectar from high-Andean flowers such as Espeletia, Chuquiraga, Castilleja, Siphocampylus, and Bomarea. It supplements nectar with small insects and spiders for protein, hawking them in short sallies or gleaning from foliage. Territorial individuals repeatedly visit a circuit of blooming shrubs.
Preferred Environment
Forages at shrub edges, in open páramo with scattered flowering stems, and along elfin forest ecotones. Often uses sheltered gullies and leeward slopes where flowers are abundant and wind is reduced.
