The Blue-throated Hillstar is a rare and recently discovered hummingbird inhabiting the high mountains of Ecuador.
Appearance[]
The males are easily determined from the females by their glittering, ultramarine blue throat. Their heads are an iridescent emerald green with blue-green reflections that extends down their back. Under the triangular blue throat is a velvet black collar separating the iridescent feathers from the pure white chest. A vertical black stripe rises from the base and ends a centimeter below the collar.
The females’ head and back are more bronze-green than emerald, and their throats are spotted with small circular patterns. On their chest are olive-green feathers.
The bill is black with a slight curve, the legs and claws are also black. Their eyes are dark brown and have a small white spot on the outer corner.
Feeding[]
As Blue-throated Hillstars live in much harsher conditions than most hummingbird species, they tend to feed while clinging to or perching next to flowers since the thin air in the habitat they live in makes hovering less efficient for their survival. Blue-throated Hillstars feed on nectar from Chuquiraga flowers. While reaching to sip nectar, the hillstar clambers over the plant, clinging to its branches and flowers sideways or even upside down, somewhat like a chickadee. The Blue-throated Hillstar feeds at other plants as well and has been seen making short aerial sallies to snap up flies.
Habitat[]
They only inhabit the grasslands with patches of shrubs in the Andean páramo.
Conservation and Status[]
In addition to habitat loss resulting from expanding farms and ranches, including pine plantations, the Blue-throated Hillstar's páramo home is threatened by gold mining.
American Bird Conservancy and Fundación Jocotoco hope to monitor additional hillstar sites and set up an educational campaign for local school children, focused on the species and páramo conservation.
Identified as a "gap" species, the Blue-throated Hillstar currently lacks protected habitat and will likely go extinct without prompt conservation action. For the same reason, this recently described species also features on ABC's list of 50 flagship species.