Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem
Common name: Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem
Scientific name: Lampornis amethystinus
Clades: Lampornithini - Mountain-gems
Let's break down Lampornis amethystinus:
Lampornis: This is the genus name, which comes from the Greek word "lampos", meaning "brightness" or "radiance," and the suffix "-ornis", meaning "bird." The name refers to the striking, bright colors of the birds in this genus, particularly their shimmering plumage. These birds are typically hummingbirds, known for their vibrant colors.
Amethystinus: This is the species name, derived from "amethyst", the name of the precious purple gemstone. The suffix "-inus" is a Latin ending used to indicate that the species is characterized by something related to the root word. In this case, it refers to the bird's distinctive amethyst-like purple coloration.
Therefore, Lampornis amethystinus can be interpreted as "the amethyst-colored hummingbird" or "the bright, amethyst bird", referencing the bird's vivid purple plumage.
The Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem is 11.5 to 12.5 cm (4.5 to 4.9 in) long. Males weigh 5 to 7.8 g (0.18 to 0.28 oz) and females 5 to 5.8 g (0.18 to 0.20 oz).
This is a rather large hummingbird that lives in humid evergreen forests and pine-oak forests in the mountains. The species is fairly common in the shady understory and at edges, where it feeds on flowers at all levels. Though it has an exciting name, its appearance can be rather drab and grayish with a dark mask, whitish eyestripe, and dusky throat (the amethyst gorget rarely catches the light). The tail has a blackish color with pale gray corners.
5 subspecies:
Amethyst-throated
L. a. amethystinus
Distribution mountains of C and E Mexico (S Nuevo León and S Tamaulipas to Veracruz and N Oaxaca).L. a. circumventus
Distribution southern Mexico (western Sierra de Miahuatlán, in southwestern Oaxaca)L. a. salvin
Distribution highlands of S Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala and El Salvador.L. a. nobilis
Distribution highlands of Honduras.L. a. margaritae (Violet-throated)
Distribution SW Mexico (Nayarit and Jalisco to Michoacán and W Oaxaca).
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