Geoffroy's Daggerbill

Overview

Geoffroy's daggerbill, also known as Geoffroy's wedgebill or eastern wedge-billed hummingbird, is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is considered uncommon to locally common within its range.

Identification

• Measures 8.6 to 9.3 cm in length and weighs between 3.5 and 4.1 g.
• Males of the nominate subspecies possess bronzy green upperparts with a coppery cast to the rump, while females have white throats with green speckles.
• The bill is very narrow and sharply pointed, though this characteristic is not easily seen in the field.
• The song consists of an insect-like series of regularly spaced simple 'tsit' or sibilant 'sink' notes, sung from a low perch.

Habitat

Found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, the species inhabits the interior and edges of dense cloudforest. It typically occurs at elevations between 900 and 2,300 m, with records as high as 2,800 m in southeastern Peru.

Diet

Forages in dense vegetation from near the ground to medium heights, collecting nectar from tubular flowers of shrubs, vines, and small trees. It also captures small insects on the wing or by gleaning from vegetation.

Did you know?

The bird is mostly sedentary but makes some elevational dispersion after the breeding season.