Blue-throated Mountain-gem
Blue-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis clemenciae)
Name Origin:
The genus name Lampornis comes from the Greek lampros meaning “bright” and ornis meaning “bird,” a reference to the genus’s shimmering iridescence. The species name clemenciae honors Clemence R. H. Leslie, wife of the British naturalist who described the species.
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 11.5–12.5 cm (4.5–4.9 in)
⚖️ Weight: 6.5–8 g (0.23–0.28 oz)
🌎 Range: Southwestern United States and highlands of Mexico
🧭 Elevation: 1,200–3,200 m (3,940–10,500 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small arthropods
🏡 Habitat: Pine-oak, montane, and cloud forests; forest edges and canyons
🧬 Clade: Heliantheini "Brilliants" (mid- to high-elevation hummingbirds)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN)
Subspecies & Distribution
1. Lampornis clemenciae bessophilus
Distribution: Breeds in the mountains of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico (USA) south into northern Mexico (Sonora and Chihuahua).
2. Lampornis clemenciae phasmorus
Distribution: Found in the highlands of southern Mexico, including the Sierra Madre del Sur and adjacent ranges from Guerrero to western Oaxaca.
3. Lampornis clemenciae clemenciae
Distribution: Occurs throughout the central and eastern highlands of Mexico, from Durango and San Luis Potosí south through Veracruz, Puebla, and Oaxaca.
Species Overview
The Blue-throated Mountain-gem is a powerful and vocal highland hummingbird, known for its dazzling blue throat and bold demeanor. Found from the pine-oak canyons of Arizona south through Mexico’s volcanic highlands, it is the largest hummingbird species north of Mexico and a dominant presence in its mountain habitat.
Male Description:
The male shows metallic green upperparts, a brilliant blue-violet throat (gorget), and gray underparts. The tail is dark green-bronze with broad white tips, and the bill is long, straight, and black. Males perch conspicuously while defending flowering territories, flashing the blue throat and fanning their tails during vocal displays.
Female Description:
The female lacks the blue throat, displaying green upperparts, a pale gray throat, and white-tipped outer tail feathers. Her underparts are slightly buffy, and her tail is shorter and rounder. Females are less territorial and spend more time foraging within dense vegetation.
Habitat & Behavior:
This species inhabits pine-oak and cloud forests, riparian canyons, and forest edges at mid to high elevations. It feeds primarily on nectar from Agave, Salvia, and Penstemon, and also captures small insects. The Blue-throated Mountain-gem is famously aggressive and territorial, often chasing other hummingbirds away from preferred flowers or feeders. Its sharp, buzzing “chit-chit” calls echo through canyons and forested slopes.
Conservation Note:
The Blue-throated Mountain-gem is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and remains stable across its range. It adapts well to gardens and forest edges but may decline locally where logging and habitat fragmentation reduce nectar sources. Conservation of montane forest corridors and native flowering plants supports healthy populations of this charismatic Heliantheini hummingbird.
Below is the Blue-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis clemenciae clemenciae)
Photographed in Omiltemi, Chilpancingo de los Bravo, Guerrero, and Cabañas Los Molinos, Ixtlán, Oaxaca, Mexico
This individual belongs to the nominate subspecies clemenciae, which occurs throughout the highlands of Mexico from the Sierra Madre Occidental and del Sur south to Oaxaca. It inhabits pine-oak forest, montane forest edge, and riparian canyons between 1,200 and 3,000 meters, often foraging at flowering trees and shaded clearings.
Below is the Blue-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis clemenciae bessophilus)
Photographed in Cave Creek Canyon and Ramsey Canyon Inn, Cochise County, Arizona, United States
These individuals belong to the subspecies bessophilus, which represents the northernmost population of the species, found in the “Sky Island” mountain ranges of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and adjacent northern Sonora, Mexico. It inhabits shaded montane canyons, pine-oak forest, and riparian corridors above 1,500 meters.
This form is slightly smaller and paler than the Mexican nominate. Males display the same sapphire-blue throat and bold white malar stripes, while females show a dull grayish throat and olive-green upperparts. The species is a strong flier and a regular visitor to flowering trees and feeders, often defending resources aggressively.
