The rufous-shafted woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
Region
Northern South America and Trinidad & Tobago
Typical Environment
Occurs in northern Colombia and Venezuela, extending to Trinidad and Tobago. It favors edges of humid and semi-humid forests, second growth, coffee plantations, and flowering gardens. In Trinidad and Tobago it is most often seen in lowlands and foothills around blooming trees and shrubs. It follows seasonal flower availability and can be locally common where nectar is abundant.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny hummingbird of the bee-hummingbird tribe, it often appears insect-like as it zips between flowers with a high-pitched wing hum. Males show a shimmering throat patch and a mostly rufous tail, while females are plainer with buffy underparts. It visits gardens and forest edges as readily as natural habitats. Like other woodstars, it often forages by trap-lining a circuit of flowering plants.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile hovering
Social Behavior
Typically solitary away from breeding, defending rich flower patches against other small hummingbirds. Courtship involves rapid chases and close-range display hovering by the male. The tiny cup nest is built from plant down bound with spider silk and placed on a low, sheltered branch.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are thin, high chips and short, buzzy trills, given while foraging or during interactions. Wingbeats create a very high, insect-like hum that is often heard before the bird is seen.
Plumage
Tiny hummingbird with glittering green upperparts and a contrasting largely rufous tail with dusky tips. Males show an iridescent violet-magenta gorget and often a narrow whitish pectoral band; females have a whitish throat, buffy underparts, and more subdued tones. Both sexes show a straight, slender bill and a small whitish post-ocular spot.
Diet
Takes nectar from a wide variety of tubular flowers, including shrubs, vines, and flowering trees. Supplements its diet with small arthropods captured by hawking or gleaning from foliage. Often follows a trap-line route between reliable flower patches. Will visit ornamental plantings and feeders in suitable areas.
Preferred Environment
Feeds along forest edges, in second growth, coffee farms, and in gardens with abundant blossoms. Frequently forages in semi-open habitats with scattered flowering shrubs and trees.
