Garnet-throated hummingbird


The garnet-throated hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. It is in the monotypical genus Lamprolaima.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

Systematics

First described by Rene Primevere Lesson as Ornismya rhami in 1838, the garnet-throated hummingbird was moved to its current genus, Lamprolaima, by Ludwig Reichenbach in 1854.
It is the only member of the genus Lamprolaima, a name which is a combination of two Greek words: lampros, meaning brilliant or radiant and laimos, meaning throat. The specific epithet commemorates Henri-Casimir de Rham, a Swiss diplomat to the United States who was founder of the Swiss Benevolent Society in New York, a businessman, naturalist and collector.

Description

The garnet-throated hummingbird is a large hummingbird, ranging from in length and from in weight. The male has an iridescent emerald green back, bright rufous wings and a dark purple tail. His chest is iridescent violet, his abdomen black, and his throat has an iridescent garnet-red patch surrounded by black. The female lacks the throat and chest colors of the male; instead, she is sooty gray below.

Conservation and threats

Although the International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists this species as being of Least Concern, the Mexican government lists it as Threatened.

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