Scientific name Oreotrochilus Higher classification Trochilinae | Family Trochilidae Phylum Chordata Rank Genus | |
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Lower classifications Ecuadorian hillstar, Andean hillstar, White‑sided hillstar, Wedge‑tailed hillstar, Black‑breasted hillstar | ||
Ecuadorian hillstar on cotopaxi 23 aug 2014
The hillstars are hummingbirds of the genus Oreotrochilus. They are native to the Andes in South America.
Contents
- Ecuadorian hillstar on cotopaxi 23 aug 2014
- White tailed hillstar urochroa bougueri leucura biodiversity shorts 13
- Description
- Biology
- Taxonomy
- References
The white-tailed hillstar (Urochroa bougueri) is not closely related.
White tailed hillstar urochroa bougueri leucura biodiversity shorts 13
Description
The birds are approximately 13 centimetres (5.1 in) in length with fairly long, slightly decurved black bills. They are sexually dimorphic. The male usually has an iridescent green throat, or bluish-purple in the Ecuadorian hillstar, with dull greenish upperparts and pale flanks. The central underparts are usually black, but are brown in the Andean hillstar. The tail is usually dark with a contrasting white pattern; the pattern is cinnamon in the wedge-tailed hillstar, and the tail is entirely dark in the black-breasted hillstar. The female is duller, with a whitish throat densely spotted with green, white, buff, or cinnamon underparts, and a dark tail with a white pattern.
Biology
These highly territorial hummingbirds are found in temperate and alpine grassland, scrub and woodland at altitudes of 1,200 to 5,200 metres (3,900 to 17,100 ft). The Ecuadorian hillstar has been observed nesting at high altitudes on the cliffs of Cotopaxi. This species is known to nest colonially.
Many hillstars feed mainly on shrubs of the Andean plant genus Chuquiraga, and some species may be limited to them.
The genus has undergone allopatric speciation.
Taxonomy
There are six taxa in the genus.
The Ecuadorian hillstar may be treated as a subspecies of the Andean hillstar.
