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
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2, 3) Nick Athanas - Peru 4)
Francesco_Veronesi - Ecuador



Thornbill,_Bronze-tailed Found: Columbia, Venezuela
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Neil_Martinez - Columbia 3)
Nick Athanas
2, 3) Male


Thornbill,_Olivaceous Chalcostigma olivaceum Found: Bolivia, Peru
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
John_Gould 3)
Steve_Arlow
3) Male


Thornbill,_Rainbow-bearded Chalcostigma herrani Found: mainly Columbia, Ecuador; also Peru
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
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
Image by: 1, 2)
Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online -
Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Roger_Ahlman, Steve_Blain
1) female 2) Male

Puffleg,_Black-thighed Eriocnemis derbyi Found:Columbia, Ecuador
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2,
3) Alejandro_Tamayo 4)
Nick_Athanas
2) Female 3) Male



Puffleg,_Blue-capped Eriocnemis glaucopoides Found: Argentina, Bolivia
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
Image by: 1, 2)
Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Nigel_Voaden

Puffleg,_Coppery-bellied Eriocnemis cupreoventris Found: Columbia, Venezuela
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
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
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
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Nick Athanas - Ecuador 3)
Michael Woodruff 4)
Felix_Uribe - Columbia



Puffleg,_Gorgeted Eriocnemis isabellae Found: southwest Columbia
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Alexander_Cortes

Puffleg,_Sapphire-vented Eriocnemis luciani Found:Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Laura Gooch - Ecuador 3)
Nick Athanas - Ecuador- 4)
Michael_Woodruff 5)
Joseph_Boone - Ecuador 6)
Jerry_Oldenettel - Ecuador





Genus Haplophaedia
Puffleg,_Buff-thighed Haplophaedia assimilis Found: Bolivia, Perus
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Nick Athanas - Peru

Puffleg,_Greenish Haplophaedia aureliae Found: Columbia, Ecuador
Image by: 1)
Chephas 2)
Nick Athanas - Columbia 3)
Francesco_Veronesi


Puffleg,_Hoary Haplophaedia lugens Found: Columbia, Ecuador
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Keith_Bowers 3)
Mike's_Birds


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
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
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
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Nick Athanas

Metaltail,_Coppery Metallura theresiae Found: Peru
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Nick Athanas 3)
David_Cook
2) Female 3) Male


Metaltail,_Fire-throated Metallura eupogon Found: Peru
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Pete_Morris Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Pete_Morris

Metaltail,_Neblina Metallura odomae Found: Ecuador, Peru
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
2) Female 3, 4) Male



Metaltail,_Scaled Metallura aeneocauda Found: Bolivia, Peru
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
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
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
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
Image by: 1, 2)
Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Nestor_Ccacya_Baca, Fabrice_Schmitt
1) 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
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
Image by: 1) Cephas 2)
Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Daniel_Lane, altabpe00


Hillstar,_Ecuadorian Oreotrochilus chimborazo Found: mainly Ecuador; also Columbia
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
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Ron_Knight - Argentina 3)
Nick Athanas - Argentina


Hillstar,_White-sided Oreotrochilus leucopleurus Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile
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
Image by: 1)
Nick_Athanas
1, 2) Male
Helmetcrest,_Green-bearded Oxypogon guerinii Found: Columbia, Venezuela
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Pedro Arturo Camargo Martínez Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Jacob_Drucker 3)
Juan José Arango


Helmetcrest,_White-bearded Oxypogon lindenii Found: northwest Venezuela
Image by: 1)
Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Hugo_Arnal
Genus Ramphomicron
Thornbill,_Black-backed Ramphomicron dorsale Found: Santa Marta mountains of Colombia
Image by: 1)
Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Diego_Calderon 2)
Nick Athanas
1) Female 2) Male

Thornbill,_Purple-backed Found: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela
Image by: 1)
Cephas 2)
Ron_Knight 3, 4)
Nick Athanas - Ecuador 5)
Jei_Pov - Columbia



