Purple-backed Thornbill
Common name: Purple-backed Thornbill
Scientific name: Ramphomicron microrhynchum
Clades: Lesbiini - Coquettes
The Purple-backed thornbill is 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 in) long and weighs about 3.5 g (0.12 oz).
Purple-backed Thornbills have the smallest bills of all hummingbirds. Males have forked purple-black tails and are brilliant purple above. On the females, there are green spots on the top and white spots on the bottom. Hummingbirds like these live near humid forests, semi-open highlands, and páramos. As the wet season approaches, birds migrate higher in elevation. In order to find insects, Purple-backed Thornbills glean and hawk, or hover at flowers. It is common for them to gather with other hummingbirds in flowering treetops where they often perch. A male makes a loud cracking sound while dancing back and forth in front of a female during courtship displays.
4 subspecies:
R. m. andicola
Distribution Andes of Venezuela (Mérida).
R. m. microrhynchum
Distribution Andes of Colombia, Ecuador and NW Peru (to Cajamarca).
R. m. albiventre
Distribution E slope in C and S Peru (Huánuco to Cuzco and Apurímac).R. m. bolivianum
Distribution Andes of C Bolivia (Cocapata, in Cochabamba).
