The Tumbes hummingbird (''Thaumasius baeri'') is a species of

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...

in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.

Taxonomy and systematics

This species was formerly placed in the genus '' Leucippus''. A

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study published in 2014 found that ''Leucippus'' was polyphyletic. To resolve the polyphyly the Tumbes hummingbird and the

spot-throated hummingbird The spot-throated hummingbird (''Thaumasius taczanowskii'') is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Peru but there are uncorroborated sightings in Ecuador.Remsen, J. V., Jr., ...

(''Taphrospilus hypostictus'') were moved by most taxonomic systems to the resurrected genus ''

Thaumasius ''Thaumasius'' is a genus in the family of Hummingbirds, and consists of 2 species. Taxonomy and species list These two species were formerly placed in the genus '' Leucippus''. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that ''Leuc ...

''. However,

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

's ''

Handbook of the Birds of the World The ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions in partnership with BirdLife International. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. T ...

'' retains it in ''Leucippus''.Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ Retrieved August 25, 2021Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved July 24, 2022 The Tumbes hummingbird is monotypic.

Description

The Tumbes hummingbird is long and weighs about . The sexes are essentially alike. They have a nearly straight black bill. Their upperparts are pale golden green and their underparts pale grayish that becomes white on the belly. The tail feathers are pale green; the inner ones have bronzy tips and the outer ones a dusky gray band near the end and tips that are whitish in the male and grayish in the female.Schulenberg, T. S. and C. W. Sedgwick (2021). Tumbes Hummingbird (''Thaumasius baeri''), version 1.1. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.tumhum1.01.1 retrieved September 3, 2022

Distribution and habitat

The Tumbes hummingbird is found in southwestern Ecuador's El Oro and Loja provinces and into northwestern Peru as far south as

Lambayeque Department Lambayeque () is a department and region in northwestern Peru known for its rich Moche and Chimú historical past. The region's name originates from the ancient pre-Inca civilization of the '' Lambayeque''. It is the second-smallest departmen ...

. It inhabits arid scrublands and the edges of deciduous forest in the Tumbes ecoregion. In elevation it ranges from sea level to in Ecuador and in Peru.

Behavior

Movement

The Tumbes hummingbird is mostly sedentary though it may make some seasonal movements.

Feeding

The Tumbes hummingbird forages for nectar from the understory to the mid-strata, though details of the flowering plants it favors are lacking. In addition to nectar, it feeds on small arthropods.

Breeding

The Tumbes hummingbird's breeding

phenology Phenology is the study of periodic events in biological life cycles and how these are influenced by seasonality, seasonal and interannual variations in climate, as well as environmental factor, habitat factors (such as elevation). Examples includ ...

and nest have not been described.

Vocalization

The Tumbes hummingbird's song is "a complex series of chips and wheezing electric warbles." Its calls have been described as "a gruff ''dzee'' and chips."

Status

The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has assessed the Tumbes hummingbird as being of Least Concern, though it has a limited range and its population size and trend are unknown. No immediate threats have been identified. However, because of its restricted range, "it remains potentially vulnerable to any increase in habitat loss, degradation, or fragmentation."

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1264730 Tumbes hummingbird Birds of Tumbes Tumbes hummingbird Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN