The pale-tailed barbthroat is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found throughout much of the Amazon Basin from the eastern Andean foothills to the Atlantic Ocean.
Region
Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs widely from the eastern Andean foothills across lowland Amazonia to the Atlantic in northern Brazil and the Guianas, and south into northern Bolivia. It inhabits terra firme and várzea forests, forest edges, secondary growth, and shady plantations. Often found along streams and in areas with abundant heliconias where it forages low to mid-understory. It is generally absent from open, heavily deforested landscapes but can persist in semi-degraded forest mosaics.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small hummingbird is a traplining nectar-feeder, visiting a circuit of flowers such as Heliconia and Costus deep in the forest understory. Its pale tail with a dark subterminal band is a key field mark. It plays an important role as a pollinator and supplements its diet with tiny insects for protein.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with precise hovering
Social Behavior
Typically solitary away from nesting, defending favored flower patches against other hummingbirds. Males display by perching and chasing intruders; females build the tiny cup nest alone using plant fibers and spider silk under drooping leaves. Clutch is usually two eggs, and the female incubates and raises the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched tseet or tzip notes, often repeated from low perches in the understory. Wingbeats produce a soft whirring when hovering. Vocalizations are modest and more functional than musical.
Plumage
Dull bronzy-green to olive upperparts with paler buffy underparts and a contrasting pale tail showing a dark subterminal band. Throat often buffy with a distinct whitish malar stripe and slight bristle-like feathers at the bill base. Overall appearance is subdued compared to many hummingbirds but with a striking tail pattern.
Diet
Primarily nectar from tubular flowers such as Heliconia, Costus, and various understory blossoms. Also consumes small insects and spiders gleaned from foliage or hawked in short sallies, providing essential proteins. It follows a trapline route to visit a sequence of flowering plants efficiently.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in shaded forest understory and along edges where heliconias and other nectar sources are common. Often forages along streams, treefall gaps, and secondary growth with dense herbaceous layers.
