| Dusky hummingbird | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Strisores |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Tribe: | Trochilini |
| Genus: | Phaeoptila Gould, 1861 |
| Species: | P. sordida |
| Binomial name | |
| Phaeoptila sordida (Gould, 1859) | |
 | |
| Synonyms | |
Cyanomyia sordida (Gould),Cynanthus sordidus[3] | |
Thedusky hummingbird (Phaeoptila sordida) is a species ofhummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It isendemic toMexico.[4][3]
The dusky hummingbird was formerly placed in the genusCynanthus. Based on amolecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 and a 2017 publication, the North American Classification Committee of theAmerican Ornithological Society, theInternational Ornithological Committee (IOC), and theClements taxonomy moved it to the resurrected genusPhaeoptila that had been introduced in 1861 byJohn Gould.[5][6][7][4][8] However, as of 2020BirdLife International'sHandbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) retained it inCynanthus.[3]
The dusky hummingbird is the only species in genusPhaeoptila and has no subspecies.[4]
The dusky hummingbird is 9 to 10.6 cm (3.5 to 4.2 in) long. Males weigh about 4.3 g (0.15 oz) and females about 3.4 g (0.12 oz). Males have a bright red bill with a black tip. Their upperparts are bronze green to greenish bronze that is more browish or grayish on the crown and uppertailcoverts. The tail is dull greenish bronze or grayish brown with a greenish gloss and dusky feather bases. It has a grayish streak behind the eye and dusky cheeks. It does not have an iridescentgorget like most other hummingbirds, but a deep gray throat with greenish flecks. Its underparts are slightly lighter gray down to the undertail coverts, which are buffy. It has white leg tufts. The female is much like the male. However, its bill is a duller red with a dark tip, its outer tail feathers have a blackish blue band near the end and brownish-gray tips, and its underparts are a paler gray.[9]
The dusky hummingbird is found in southwestern Mexico fromMichoacán andMorelos toOaxaca. It inhabits arid scrub and other semi-open to open landscapes with some trees. In elevation it ranges between 900 and 2,200 m (3,000 and 7,200 ft).[9]
The movement patterns of the dusky hummingbird, if any, have not been described.
The dusky hummingbird forages for nectar in the mid- to upper levels of trees. It also feeds on the flowers of a variety of columnar cacti andagave. It spreads and wags its tail while feeding. In addition to nectar it also feeds on smallarthropods.[9]
Dusky hummingbirds have been observered breeding in March, May, August, November, and December. The nest is a small cup of plant fibers lined with soft plant down and covered with leaf and bark bits. Three were noted between 1.2 and 2 m (4 and 7 ft) above the ground in shrubs. The incubation period and time to fledging are not known.[9]
| Songs and calls |
What is thought to be the dusky hummingbird's song is "a quiet, dry, chippering warble". It makes "dry, slightly buzzy chips" and a chattering call that is described as similar to that of thebroad-billed hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) but "softer and more liquid or spluttering".[9]
TheIUCN has assessed the dusky hummingbird as being of Least Concern. It has a fairly large range and a population of at least 50,000 mature individuals that is believed to be stable. No specific threats have been identified.[1]
