Animalia Life

Boissonneaua jardini
SUBFAMILY
Trochilinae
TAXONOMY
Trochilus jardini Bourcier, 1851, Nanegal, Ecuador. Monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Jardine’s hummingbird; French: Colibri de Jardine; German: Hyazinthkolibri; Spanish: Colibrн Sietecolores.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
4.3–4.7 in (11–12 cm); female and male 0.28–0.3 oz (8.0–8.5 g). Bill straight, black. Male shining bluish green above with head and throat velvety black; crown, breast, and belly glittering purplish blue; underwing-coverts cinnamon and conspicuous in flight; tail slightly forked, central feathers black, the rest white with black tips and edges; small leg puffs also white. Female similar but duller in coloration, with feathers of breast and belly fringed buff; wings are shorter and tail less deeply forked than in male. Immatures like females.
DISTRIBUTION
Pacific slope of western Andes in southwest Colombia and northwest Ecuador.
HABITAT
Prefers wet mossy forests and forest boders in tropical and subtropical zones, but can also be found at shrubby clearings in Pacific lowlands and on lower slopes. Records range from 1,150–7,200 ft (350–2,200 m), commonest above 4,000 ft (1,200 m).
BEHAVIOR
Defends nectar-rich food sources. Sedentary, but seasonal altitudinal dispersal known in Colombia.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Usually seen feeding at flowers from lower strata to tree tops. Insects are caught in the air by hawking.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeds from January to March. Nest cup-shaped, made of moss and lichen, placed on a horizontal branch or thin fork. Two eggs; incubation by female.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Restricted-range species. Uncommon and very local.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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