Black-throated Brilliant
Black-throated Brilliant (Heliodoxa schreibersii)
Name Origin:
The genus name Heliodoxa is derived from the Greek helios meaning “sun” and doxa meaning “glory” or “splendor,” referring to the sun-like brilliance of this genus’s iridescent plumage. The species name schreibersii honors Karl Franz Anton von Schreibers, an Austrian naturalist and museum director known for his work in zoological collections during the early 19th century.
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 11–12 cm (4.3–4.7 in)
⚖️ Weight: 6–7 g (0.21–0.25 oz)
🌎 Range: Western Amazon Basin from southeastern Colombia to southeastern Peru and northwestern Brazil
🧭 Elevation: 100–1,400 m (330–4,590 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small arthropods
🏡 Habitat: Humid lowland and foothill rainforest, forest edges, and clearings
🧬 Clade: Heliantheini "Brilliants" (lowland and montane forest hummingbirds)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN)
Subspecies & Distribution
1. H. s. schreibersii (Black-throated)
Distribution: Southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and northeastern Peru (south to San Martín), extending into extreme northwestern Amazonian Brazil near the upper Negro River.
2. H. s. whitelyana (Black-breasted)
Distribution: Central and southeastern Peru, from Pasco and Junín south to northern Cuzco and western Madre de Dios.
Species Overview
The Black-throated Brilliant is a large, radiant hummingbird of the western Amazon Basin, distinguished by its glowing emerald plumage and dark, velvety throat. It inhabits the lower and middle elevations of humid forests, where it forages for nectar among canopy blossoms and shaded clearings. Its calm, deliberate movements contrast with the flashier behavior of smaller hummingbirds, giving it a dignified presence in the rainforest understory.
Male Description:
The male has brilliant metallic-green upperparts, a velvety black throat and upper breast, and bronzy-green underparts. The tail is dark with a faint purplish gloss, and the bill is straight, medium-length, and black. In strong light, the head and throat shimmer with a mix of deep green and blue tones that merge into the black gorget.
Female Description:
The female is similar but lacks the solid black throat, instead showing green spotting or scaling on a pale gray throat and upper breast. Her underparts are duller green, and her tail is shorter and more rounded. She forages actively in the midstory and tends to remain solitary or in loose pairs.
Habitat & Behavior:
This species prefers humid primary and secondary forests, river-edge woodland, and foothill slopes, most often at elevations between 100 and 1,400 meters. It feeds on nectar from a variety of forest trees and shrubs, including Inga, Psychotria, and Heliconia, and supplements its diet with small insects captured on the wing. Its flight is strong and direct, often accompanied by soft, chittering calls.
Conservation Note:
The Black-throated Brilliant is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN and remains fairly common throughout its broad Amazonian range. However, deforestation and degradation of lowland rainforest continue to reduce local populations. Conservation of continuous forest tracts and riverine habitat corridors is vital for the long-term stability of this species and other members of the Heliodoxa genus.
Below is the Black-throated Brilliant (Heliodoxa schreibersii schreibersii)
Photographed at Reserva Arena Blanca, San Martín, Peru
This individual belongs to the subspecies schreibersii, which occurs in the eastern Andean foothills from southern Colombia through Ecuador and northern Peru. It inhabits humid forest edge and interior clearings between 500 and 1,600 meters elevation, where it forages at flowering trees and heliconias.
