Curve-winged Sabrewing

Nightingale Hummingbird ( Campylopterus curvipennis )

The nightingale Hummingbird or Blaukron - Sabrewing ( Campylopterus curvipennis ) is a species of bird in the family of hummingbirds ( Trochilidae ). The species has a large distribution area, which covers about 220,000 square kilometers in the Central American countries, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. The stock is by the IUCN as " not at risk " ( least concern ) classified.

Features

The nightingale Hummingbird a body length of about 12 to 13.5 inches. The subspecies excellens is 13.5 to 14 inches slightly larger. The straight beak reaches about 1.33 - to 1.5 - times the size of the head. In the male, this corresponds to about 26 to 31 millimeters, and the female 23 to 28 millimeters. Males and females differ only slightly. The face, throat and lower parts are pale gray. To the eye it is dark with a postokularen ( behind the eye ) spots. The lower part of the wings shimmers cinnamon. While the crown is violet to blue-violet, the color goes from the neck over the top of the green to blue-green above. Also the tail is blue-green to green. Only the outer feathers have light gray speckles. In the female the tail is slightly shorter. The speckles on the outer tail feathers are white.

Habitat

The bird moves preferably in moist to semi-dry evergreen zones, mixed forests and forest edges and secondary vegetation with flowers. It is found at altitudes near sea level to about 1400 meters.

Behavior

You often see the bird looking for food with high vegetation density is preferably at forest edges or steep slopes. The flight varies from hummingbirds typical Schwirrflug to slow wing beat, similar to a sailor. Without fear he approaches even people. The hummingbird breeds from March to July. His nest he builds as well camouflaged cup on horizontal branches. The name comes from the distinctive singing nightingale Hummingbird Hummingbird.

Subspecies

There are no known additional subspecies. Previously, the Pampa Hummingbird ( Campylopterus pampa ) ( Lesson, 1832) was included as subspecies. Today he is regarded as a separate article

Etymology and History of Research

Ferdinand Deppe described the nightingale hummingbird under the name Trochilus curvipennis. He had collected during a trip to Mexico The type specimen. Later, the species of the genus Campylopterus been assigned. This word derives from the Greek " kampulos καμπύλος " for " bent, curved " and " - pteros, pteron πτερο " from for » - winged, wings ." The name " curvipennis " is bent from the Latin words " curvus " for " curved " and " - pennis, penna " winged for " assembled wing ."