Hummingbirds are restricted to the Americas from southern Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, including the Caribbean. The majority of species occur in tropical and subtropical Central and South America. Hummingbirds are are among the smallest of birds. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12–90 times per second (depending on the species). They can also fly backwards, and are the only group of birds able to do so. They can fly at speeds exceeding 50 km/h (30 mi/h).
Hummingbirds drink nectar, a sweet liquid inside flowers. Nectar is a poor source of nutrients, so they also prey on insects and spiders, especially when feeding young. When hummingbirds feed on nectar, the bill is usually only opened slightly, allowing the tongue to dart out and into the interior of flowers. Most hummingbirds have bills that are long and straight or nearly so, but in some species the bill shape is adapted for specialized feeding. Hummingbirds do not spend all day flying, as the energy cost would be prohibitive; the majority of their activity consists simply of sitting or perching. With the exception of insects, hummingbirds while in flight have the highest metabolism of all animals, a necessity in order to support the rapid beating of their wings. Their heart rate can reach over 1000 beats per minute.
The hummingbirds are presented in 7 web pages: 1) Barbthroat, Hermit, Jacobian, Sicklebill, Topaz
2) Carib, Fairy, Goldenthroat, Mango, Violetear, Visorbearer 3) Comet, Coquette, Firecrown, Sunangel, Sylph, Thorntail
4) Helmetcrest, Hillstar, Metaltail, Puffleg, Thornbill 5) Brilliant, Coronet, Inca, Starfrontlet, Sunbeam
6) Mountain-gem, Starthroat, Sheartail, Woodstar 7) Emerald, Plumeleteer, Sabrewing, Woodnymph
Helmetcrest, Hillstar, Metaltail, Puffleg, Thornbill
Genus Chalcostigma
Thornbill,_Blue-mantled Chalcostigma stanleyi Found: Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru
The Blue-mantled Thornbill has mainly dark plumage. Male has mixture of blue on mantle.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2, 3) Nick Athanas - Peru 4) Francesco_Veronesi - Ecuador
Thornbill,_Bronze-tailed Found: Columbia, Venezuela
The male Bronze-tailed Thornbill has rufous upperparts; long green stripe on breast.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Neil_Martinez - Columbia 3) Nick Athanas
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2, 3) Male
Thornbill,_Olivaceous Chalcostigma olivaceum Found: Bolivia, Peru
The Olivaceous Thornbill has mainly sooty-gray or bronze-brown plumage. Male has narrow gorget that is glittering green on chin becoming bluish on tip.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) John_Gould 3) Steve_Arlow
3) Male
Thornbill,_Rainbow-bearded Chalcostigma herrani Found: mainly Columbia, Ecuador; also Peru
The Rainbow-bearded Thornbill has mainly dark bronze-brown plumage; tawny or rufous crown; blue-black tail. Male has narrow beard-like gorget that is blue green on chin, shading to golden then red on tip.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Sergey_Pisarevskiy - Columbia 3) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Peter_Hawrylyshyn 4) Nick Athanas - Ecuador 5) Diego Rivera
2, 3) Female 4, 5) Malr
Thornbill,_Rufous-capped Chalcostigma ruficeps Found: Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru
The Rufous-capped Thornbill has mainly greenish plumage; short bill. Male has rufous crown; iridescent green gorget.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2, 3) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Daniel_Lane, Eduardo_Carrion_Letort
2) Female 3) Male
Genus Eriocnemis
Puffleg,_Black-breasted Eriocnemis nigrivestis Found: northwest Ecuado
The male Black-breasted Puffleg has mainly black plumage; dark blue tail coverts; violet-blue throat. Female has bronze-green upperparts; bluish-green rump; golden-green underparts; pale blue chin.
Image by: 1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Roger_Ahlman, Steve_Blain1) female 2) Male
Puffleg,_Black-thighed Eriocnemis derbyi Found:Columbia, Ecuador
The male Black-thighed Puffleg has green upperparts; dark wings, breast; dark-and-gold belly; gold rump. Female has green upperparts; dark wings; green and white underparts; gold rump.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2, 3) Alejandro_Tamayo 4) Nick_Athanas
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2) Female 3) Male
Puffleg,_Blue-capped Eriocnemis glaucopoides Found: Argentina, Bolivia
The male Blue-capped Puffleg has mainly dark green plumage; blue forehead, throat; blue-black tail; dark wings; white puff legs. Female has mainly pale orange underparts.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Andres_Teran 3) Nick Athanas - Argentina
2) Female 3) Male
Puffleg,_Colorful Eriocnemis mirabilis Found: west slope of the West Andes of Columbia
The male Colorful Puffleg has green upperparts; glittering green forehead, gorget; blue belly; red-and-gold undertail coverts; white leg puffs. Female has green upperparts; white median throat; indistinct reddish, golden, and bluish spots on belly, flanks and undertail,
Image by: 1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Nigel_Voaden
Puffleg,_Coppery-bellied Eriocnemis cupreoventris Found: Columbia, Venezuela
The Coppery-bellied Puffleg has green upperparts, upper-breast; coppery lower-breast, belly; white leg puffs; some purple under tail.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Arthur_Grosset 3) Nick Athanas - Columbia
Puffleg,_Emerald-bellied Eriocnemis aline Found: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru
The Emerald-bellied Puffleg has green upperparts; white breast patch dotted with green; also bluish-emerald on some underparts; white leg puffs.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Jean_Paul_Perret in Peru 2) Nick Athanas - Peru
Puffleg,_Glowing Eriocnemis vestita Found: Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, northern Peru, western Venezuela
The Glowing Puffleg has dark green upperparts; white leg puffs. Male has purple on throa. Female has buffy throat with purple dots; buffy breast spotted with green.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Guango Lodge, Ecuador 4) Keith Bowers - Guango Lodge 5) Dave Curtis - Columbia 6, 7) Nick Athanas - Columbia
Puffleg,_Golden-breasted Eriocnemis mosquera Found: olumbia, Ecuador
The Golden-breasted Puffleg has a glittering coppery breast; green rest of plumage.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Nick Athanas - Ecuador 3) Michael Woodruff 4) Felix_Uribe - Columbia
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Puffleg,_Gorgeted Eriocnemis isabellae Found: southwest Columbia
The male Gorgeted Puffleg has purple and green gorget; white leg puffs.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Alexander_Cortes
Puffleg,_Sapphire-vented Eriocnemis luciani Found:Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
The Sapphire-vented Puffleg has mainly glittering green plumage; purple vent; white leg puffs; blackish blue wings, tail.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Laura Gooch - Ecuador 3) Nick Athanas - Ecuador- 4) Michael_Woodruff 5) Joseph_Boone - Ecuador 6) Jerry_Oldenettel - Ecuador
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Genus Haplophaedia
Puffleg,_Buff-thighed Haplophaedia assimilis Found: Bolivia, Perus
The Buff-thighed Puffleg has mainly green plumage; blue-black tail; creamy-buff to whitish leg puffs. Some subspecies have rufous leg puffs.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Nick Athanas - Peru
Puffleg,_Greenish Haplophaedia aureliae Found: Columbia, Ecuador
The Greenish Puffleg has has copper-green head; small whitish leg puffs; green, white, and gray scaling on the underparts.
Similar to: Hoary Puffleg. The Hoary Puffleg has more scaling on the underparts than the Greenish Puffleg.
Image by: 1) Chephas 2) Nick Athanas - Columbia 3) Francesco_VeronesiSimilar to: Hoary Puffleg. The Hoary Puffleg has more scaling on the underparts than the Greenish Puffleg.
Puffleg,_Hoary Haplophaedia lugens Found: Columbia, Ecuador
Similar to: Greenish Puffleg. The Hoary Puffleg has more scaling on the underparts than the Greenish Puffleg.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Keith_Bowers 3) Mike's_Birds
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Genus Lesbia
Found in: Andes of Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The males trainbearers have very long tails.
Trainbearer,_Green-tailed Lesbia nuna Found: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Green-tailed Trainbearer has mainly green plumage; mostly green tail feathers. The male has a very long tail.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Korall 3) Nick Athanas - Columbia 4) Dick Daniels - Butterfly World in Florida
Trainbearer,_Black-tailed Lesbia victoriae Found: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru
The Black-tailed Trainbearer has mainly green plumage; mostly black tail feathers. The male has a very long tail.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Ryan_Candee 3) Lip_kee - Ecuador 4)
Genus Metallura
Metaltails are named for the metallic sheen to the tail, which is glittering green, purplish, or coppery, depending upon the species.
Metaltail,_Black Metallura phoebe Found: Peru
The Black Metaltail has mainly black plumage; coppery-red tail. Male has teal gorget; female has smaller gorget.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Nick Athanas
Metaltail,_Coppery Metallura theresiae Found: Peru
The Coppery Metaltail has mainly dark coppery plumage; narrow green gorget; dark blue upper tail covert. Female similar to male by duller.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Nick Athanas 3) David_Cook
2) Female 3) Male
Metaltail,_Fire-throated Metallura eupogon Found: Peru
The Fire-throated Metaltail mainly green plumage; reddish-orange throat.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Pete_Morris Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Pete_Morris
Metaltail,_Neblina Metallura odomae Found: Ecuador, Peru
The Neblina Metaltail has bronze-greeh plumage; glittering green tail. Male has reddish-purple or rosy gorget. Female duller with whitish scales on underparts.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Nigel_Voaden 3) Nick Athanas
2, 3) Female 4) Male
Metaltail,_Perija Metallura iracunda Found: Perijá Mountains in Colombia and Venezuela.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2, 4) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online-Nestor - Timo_Mitzen, Trevor_Ellery 3) Andres_Cuervo
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2) Female 3, 4) Male
Metaltail,_Scaled Metallura aeneocauda Found: Bolivia, Peru
The Scaled Metaltail has green upperparts. Male has scaly looking underparts; females mainly tan underparts.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2, 3) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Joe_Tobias
2) Female 3) Male
Metaltail,_Tyrian Metallura tyrianthina Found: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Image by: 1, - 6) Nick Athanas
1, 2, 3) Female 4, 5, 6) Male
1) M. t. quitensis 2) M. t. districta 3) M. t. smaragdinicollis 4) M. t. quitensis 5) M. t. districta 6) M. t. smaragdinicollis
Metaltail,_Violet-throated Metallura baroni Found: Ecuador
The Violet-throated Metaltail has are mainly bronzy-green plumage. Male has violet gorget.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Nigel_Voaden 3, 4) Nick Athanas
2) Female 3, 4) Male
Metaltail,_Viridian Metallura williami Found: Columbia, Ecuador
The Viridian Metaltail has purple under-tail.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Alejandro_Aguayo 3, 4) Nick Athanas- Ecuador
2, 3) Female 4) Male
Genus Opisthoprora - 1 species
Avocetbill,_Mountain Opisthoprora euryptera Found: Columbia, Ecuador
The Mountain Avocetbill has green upperpats; dull streaked gray underparts; blackish flight feather; black bill with upturend tip.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Peter_Wendelken 3) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Peter_Hawrylyshyn
Genus Oreonympha - 1 species
Mountaineer,_Bearded Oreonympha nobilis Found: Peru
The Bearded Mountaineer has broad black collar; blue crown with black median stripe.
Image by: 1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Nestor_Ccacya_Baca, Fabrice_Schmitt1) Female 2) Male
Genus Oreotrochilus
The Hillstars have long, slightly downcurved bills. Male has dull greenish upperparts; pale flanks; tail ususually dark with contrasting white pattern. Female duller with spotted whitish throat.
Hillstar,_Andean Oreotrochilus estella Found: mainly Argentina, Ecuador, Peru; also Chile
The male Andean Hillstar has mainly greenish-brown upperparts; bright emerald gorget; white underparts with dark belly stripe. Female has similar upperparts; gray-spotted throat; otherwise drab underparts.
Image by: 1) Chephas 2) Egil_Høgsås - Peru 3) Nick Athanas - Argentina 4) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Roger_Ahlman
3) Could also be White-sided Hillstar
2, 3) Female 4) Male
Hillstar,_Black-breasted Oreotrochilus melanogaster Found: Peru
The male Black-breasted Hillstar has sparkling green throat; black underparts bordered by creamy buff. Female has bronzy-copper upperparts; grayish-brown underparts.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Daniel_Lane, altabpe00 
Hillstar,_Ecuadorian Oreotrochilus chimborazo Found: mainly Ecuador; also Columbia
The male Ecuadorian Hillstar has a purple hood. Female has mainly green plumage.
Image by: 1, 3) Nick Athanas - Ecuador 3) Jerry_Oldenettel 4) Joseph_Boone - Ecuador
1, 2) Female 3, 4 Male
Hillstar,_Wedge-tailed Oreotrochilus adela Found: mainly Bolivia; also Argentina
The Wedge-tailed Hillstar has greenish-brown upperparts. Male has black center-underparts; borderd by chestnut; black tail. Female has orange tinged underparts with gray spotted throat pattern.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Ron_Knight - Argentina 3) Nick Athanas - Argentina
Hillstar,_White-sided Oreotrochilus leucopleurus Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile
The White-sided Hillstar has bronze-green upperparts; pale underparts. Male has blue-green collar, breast streak.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Opisska - Argentina 3) Flavio_Camus 4) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Sergio_Bitran
2, 3) Female 4) Male
Genus Oxypogon
Helmetcrest,_Buffy Oxypogon stubelii Found: on Nevado del Ruiz in the Central Andes of Colombia
The Buffy Helmetcrest has a pointed black and buffy crest; green-and-blued bear-like shaped gorge. . Female lacks beard and crest.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas1, 2) Male
Helmetcrest,_Green-bearded Oxypogon guerinii Found: Columbia, Venezuela
The Green-bearded Helmetcrest has a pointed balck and white crest; white "beard" with green central stripe. Female lacks beard and crest.
Similar to: White-bearded Helmetcrest. The White-bearded Helmetcres thas a darker face than Green-bearded Helmetcrest.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Pedro Arturo Camargo Martínez Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Jacob_Drucker 3) Juan José Arango Similar to: White-bearded Helmetcrest. The White-bearded Helmetcres thas a darker face than Green-bearded Helmetcrest.
Helmetcrest,_White-bearded Oxypogon lindenii Found: northwest Venezuela
The White-bearded Helmentcrest has pointed balck and white crest; white "beard" with narrow green central stripet; dull gray underparts. Female lacks beard and crest.
Similar to: Green-bearded Helmetcrest. The White-bearded Helmetcres thas a darker face than Green-bearded Helmetcres.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Hugo_ArnalSimilar to: Green-bearded Helmetcrest. The White-bearded Helmetcres thas a darker face than Green-bearded Helmetcres.
Genus Ramphomicron
Thornbill,_Black-backed Ramphomicron dorsale Found: Santa Marta mountains of Colombia
The Black-backed Thornbill has short bill; purplish-black tail. Male has mainly black upperparts. Female has bronze-green upperparts; whitish underparts; greens speckles on throat, flanks.
Image by: 1) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Diego_Calderon 2) Nick Athanas1) Female 2) Male
Thornbill,_Purple-backed Found: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela
The male Purple-backed Thornbill has brilliant purple upperparts; forked purplish-black tail. Female has green upperparts; whitish underparts with gree spots.
Image by: 1) Cephas 2) Ron_Knight 3, 4) Nick Athanas - Ecuador 5) Jei_Pov - Columbia
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