Tyrian Metaltail

Metallura tyrianthina (Loddiges, 1832)

Tyrian Metaltail, Metallura tyrianthina, is a hummingbird of South America, breeding from northern Venezuela to northern Bolivia. It is found across the Andes and nearby mountain ranges in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. The species has a short, straight black bill. Males and females differ in plumage, with the nominate male showing bottle green upperparts, grey underparts, an emerald green throat and a slightly forked bronze tail, while the female has ochre-orange and whitish underparts with green spotting. Several subspecies show different tail colours and markings.

Order

Apodiformes

Family

Trochilidae — Hummingbirds

Breeding range

South America: n Venezuela to n Bolivia