Green-tailed Trainbearer

Green-tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia nuna)

Name Origin:
The genus Lesbia is of uncertain origin, possibly referencing the Greek island of Lesbos, although the connection to the bird’s traits is unclear. The species name nuna is of obscure origin, possibly derived from a local or indigenous word from the Andes.

Quick Facts

🪶 Length: 10–17 cm (3.9–6.7 in) (males have long tail streamers)
⚖️ Weight: 3.0–5.0 g (0.11–0.18 oz)
🌎 Range: Andes from northeastern Colombia south to Bolivia
🧭 Elevation: 1,800–3,500 m (5,900–11,500 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small arthropods
🏡 Habitat: Montane shrubland, páramo edges, gardens, and forest margins
🧬 Clade: Lesbiini “Coquettes and Trainbearers”
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)

Subspecies & Distribution

Seven subspecies:

1. Lesbia nuna gouldii
   Distribution: Eastern Andes of northeastern Colombia (Boyacá and Cundinamarca), and central Andes of southern Colombia (southern Cauca, Nariño). A historical record from Mérida, Venezuela is now considered doubtful.

2. Lesbia nuna gracilis
   Distribution: Andes of Ecuador, north of Azuay.

3. Lesbia nuna aureliae
   Distribution: Andes of southeastern Ecuador (Azuay to Loja).

4. Lesbia nuna pallidiventris
   Distribution: Andes of northern and central Peru (east Piura to western Huánuco).

5. Lesbia nuna huallagae
   Distribution: Central Andes of Peru (Huallaga Valley in central Huánuco).

6. Lesbia nuna nuna (nominate)
   Distribution: Southwestern Peru to northern Bolivia.

7. Lesbia nuna boliviana
   Distribution: Andes of Bolivia (La Paz to Cochabamba).

Species Overview

The Green-tailed Trainbearer is a visually striking hummingbird of the high Andes, instantly recognized by the male’s long, shimmering green tail streamers. It is a frequent visitor to flowering shrubs, gardens, and forest edge habitats, especially near human settlements. This species thrives in cool montane environments and is often seen darting between patches of Salvia and Baccharis flowers.

Male Description:
Metallic green upperparts, glittering green gorget, and a long, deeply forked emerald-green tail with long streamers. Underparts range from greenish-gray to dusky depending on subspecies. Bill is straight and black.

Female Description:
Shorter-tailed than male with rounded green tail, often with white tips. Underparts pale gray with green spotting or scaling, especially on throat and flanks.

Habitat & Behavior:
Inhabits montane scrub, páramo edges, and shrubby gardens from about 1,800 to 3,500 meters elevation. Uses trap-lining to visit flowering shrubs and sometimes perches conspicuously. Also catches small insects. Tolerates human presence and is a regular visitor to feeders and ornamental plantings in towns and reserves.

Conservation Note:
The Green-tailed Trainbearer is widespread and locally common throughout the Andes and is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. It adapts well to gardens and disturbed habitats, though some populations—especially range-restricted subspecies—may be sensitive to habitat conversion. Conservation efforts should focus on protecting high-elevation shrubland and forest margin mosaics, particularly in Ecuador and central Peru.

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Below is the Green-tailed Trainbearer (Lesbia nuna gouldii)

Photographed at Observatorio de Colibríes, Cundinamarca, Colombia.

These individuals belong to the subspecies gouldii, found in the eastern Andes of northeastern Colombia (Boyacá and Cundinamarca) and extending into the central Andes of southern Colombia (southern Cauca and Nariño). This taxon occupies shrubby slopes, gardens, and montane forest margins at elevations between 2,400 and 3,200 meters.