The little woodstar (''Chaetocercus bombus''), called estrellita chica in South America, is a

Near Threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify f ...

species of hummingbird in tribe

Mellisugini Mellisugini is one of the three tribes that make up the subfamily Trochilinae in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. The other two tribes in the subfamily are Lampornithini (mountain gems) and Trochilini (emeralds). The informal name "bees" has ...

of subfamily

Trochilinae Trochilinae is one of the six subfamilies that make up the hummingbird family Trochilidae. The subfamily is divided into three tribes: Lampornithini (mountain gems) containing 18 species, Mellisugini (bees) containing 37 species and Trochili ...

, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Colombia,

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

.HBW and BirdLife International (2020) ''Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world'' Version 5. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v5_Dec20.zip xls zipped 1 MBretrieved 27 May 2021

Taxonomy and systematics

The little woodstar and several other species in genus ''Chaetocercus'' were formerly placed in genus ''Acestrura'' but have been in their current position since the late 20th century. The species is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

Description

The little woodstar is long. Both sexes have a straightish black bill. The male is mostly dark bronzy blue-green. It has a buffy white line behind the eye that curves down to meet the buffy chest. Its

gorget A gorget , from the French ' meaning throat, was a band of linen wrapped around a woman's neck and head in the medieval period or the lower part of a simple chaperon hood. The term later described a steel or leather collar to protect the th ...

is rosy. The tail is forked and its outermost feathers are shafts with no vanes. The female is bronzy green above and mostly cinnamon below with tawny flanks and vent. The tail is rounded and tawny with a black bar near the end.Züchner, T., E. de Juana, and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Little Woodstar (''Chaetocercus bombus''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.litwoo5.01 retrieved July 25, 2022

Distribution and habitat

The little woodstar is found from extreme southwestern Colombia through western Ecuador into northern Peru and discontinuously in eastern Ecuador and north central Peru. It inhabits the transition zone between semi-humid and humid deciduous forest. In elevation it ranges from sea level to in western Ecuador and between in eastern Ecuador and Peru.

Behavior

Movement

The little woodstar is presumed to be mostly sedentary but seasonal elevational movements are likely.

Feeding

The little woodstar forages from near the ground to the forest's middle level, visiting a wide variety of flowering plants and trees. Little is known about its foraging strategy but it is assumed to behave like its close relative the

white-bellied woodstar The white-bellied woodstar (''Chaetocercus mulsant'') is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.HBW and BirdLife International (2020) ...

(''C. muslant''). That species does not defend feeding territories, and because of its small size and slow bumblebee-like flight is able to feed in the territories of other hummingbirds.

Breeding

Nothing is known about the little woodstar's breeding phenology.

Vocalization

What is thought to be the little woodstar's song is "a mixture of chips, twitters and buzzy notes, 'tsitsitsi..tzzeee-tzzeee..chichip'." It makes "a single dry 'chip' or doubled 'chichip'" while feeding and hovering and "a squeaky 'kswee-kswee-ti-ti-ti'" while interacting with other hummingbirds.

Status

The IUCN originally assessed the little woodstar as Threatened and reclassified it as Endangered in 1994. In 2000 it was declared Vulnerable and in 2021 Near Threatened. It has a somewhat limited range and is patchily distributed in it. Its population is estimated at 5000 to 20,000 mature individuals and is believed to be decreasing. It is threatened by continuing loss of forest habitat to logging, agriculture, settlements, and mining.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1263774 little woodstar Birds of Ecuador Birds of the Peruvian Andes little woodstar Taxonomy articles created by Polbot