Fiery Topaz Topaza pyra Scientific name definitions
Text last updated January 9, 2015
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Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Catalan | colibrí flamíger |
| Czech | kolibřík zelenokostřečný |
| Dutch | Vuurtopaaskolibrie |
| English | Fiery Topaz |
| English (United States) | Fiery Topaz |
| French | Colibri flamboyant |
| French (France) | Colibri flamboyant |
| German | Schwarznacken-Topaskolibri |
| Japanese | ヒムネハチドリ |
| Norwegian | flammetopas |
| Polish | topazik ognisty |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | topázio-de-fogo |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Topázio-de-fogo |
| Russian | Чернохвостый топаз |
| Serbian | Vatreni topaz kolibri |
| Slovak | topásovec ohnivý |
| Spanish | Colibrí Ígneo |
| Spanish (Ecuador) | Topacio Fuego |
| Spanish (Peru) | Topacio de Fuego |
| Spanish (Spain) | Colibrí ígneo |
| Spanish (Venezuela) | Topacio Candela Colimorado |
| Swedish | eldtopas |
| Turkish | Ateş Renkli Topaz |
| Ukrainian | Колібрі-топаз вогнистий |
Topaza pyra (Gould, 1846)
Definitions
- TOPAZA
- pyra
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Originally Appeared in
Introduction
Formerly a subspecies of the Crimson Topaz, the Fiery Topaz is a brilliantly marked hummingbird of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela. The male Fiery Topaz has a velvet black hood, iridescent green throat and a bronzy body overall. These features in addition to the two, elongated central tail rectrices are distinctive characteristics of birds in the genus Topaza. Often found in lowland rainforests, this species specializes in nectivory, but will also eat insects. The males become territorial around productive flowering patches, warding off intruders. Despite living in a habitat that is under threats of deforestation and habitat conversion, the Fiery Topaz has not been placed on any threatened species lists.
Field Identification
Male 21–23 cm (including bill 2·2 cm and tail 9·9–11·8 cm), 12–17 g (1); female 13–14 cm, 10·2–12 g (2, 1) (races combined). Compared to nominate race of <em>T. pella</em> , male of <em>T. p. pyra</em> is glittering (more iridescent) orange-red on underparts, with less bright gorget border, better demarcated and more extensive black on head, broader breastband, blackish secondaries and inner primaries, and bluer (less yellowish) green undertail-coverts (1); most diagnostic, tail bronze-green in centre, remainder blackish violet (no cinnamon in outer rectrices) (1), and longer than in T. pella (1) (wing 81–87 mm, tail 99–118 mm) (1); female similar to T. pella but tail blackish violet, only outer two pairs of tail feathers with cinnamon webs , and lacks grey fringes to feathers of underparts and gorget (1) (wing 70–79 mm) (1). Subadult male differs from adult in having green edge to gorget bluer and wider, yellow centre less intense, less orange and smaller; black of the head duller or with scattered greenish-black feathers; body colour less less iridescent and more orange, with green reflections or interspersed green feathers; rump perhaps more yellow-green, less orange, feathering less full; upper- and undertail-coverts bluer green, with less orange gloss, and no or less elongated rectrices; plumage maturation potentially complex, with two states perhaps identified during immaturity (1). Race amaruni (birds from this geographical region previously referred to as pamprepta) (1) differs in shorter wing (of male 75–81 mm, of female 67–76 mm) (1) and longer tail (of male 97–122 mm) (1), and (compared to pyra) has significantly more black in tibia, which are completely blackish or blackish with narrow white edge (1), while female amaruni seems to have turquoise-green undertail-coverts (turquoise-blue in pyra), although it is presently unclear whether this difference is constant (3);
Systematics History
Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.
Often lumped with T. pella, and some individuals of that species resemble present species in having glittering orange belly. However, here split on account of (in male) black extending over rear ear-coverts and nape and lower on breast below green throat patch, forming a stronger, more distinctive hood (3); more golden, less vinous shade on mantle and back (1); stronger and rather more extensive green on rump and uppertail-coverts (ns[1]); almost uniformly dark blue-black secondaries and tail vs secondaries and outer rectrices rich rufous (3); and (in female) narrower glittering throat patch (ns[1]) and whitish-buff outer vane of outer rectrix (ns[2]); further differences exist (4). Two subspecies recognized.Subspecies
Topaza pyra amaruni Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Topaza pyra amaruni Hu D-S & Joseph, 2000
Definitions
- TOPAZA
- pyra
- amaruni
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Topaza pyra pyra Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Topaza pyra pyra (Gould, 1846)
Definitions
- TOPAZA
- pyra
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.
Habitat
Occurs in lowlands generally below 400 m, and seems to be largely restricted to forests (including aguajales within terra firme forest (5), and campinarana) (6) on sandy soil, especially at margins of blackwater streams, in rocky areas with small waterfalls and in Mauritia palm swamps (1), but also, more locally, in whitewater drainages, e.g. in Acre (W Brazil) (6). Recorded once to 750 m in Ecuador (7) and to 450 m in Peru (5).
Movement
Mainly sedentary during breeding season, but is speculated to engage in some temporal movements, perhaps seasonal and/or resource-based, given that it was common in Sept–Oct, yet uncommon to rare in Dec and Mar in N Brazil (1).
Diet and Foraging
Most knowledge suggests similar behaviour and diet to T. pella. Mainly seen foraging for nectar in the upper storey of flowering forest trees such as Inga and Bombax, but also visits flowers of vines and epiphytes, e.g. Bromeliaceae, Gesneriaceae, Ericaceae. Male establishes feeding territories. Insects are caught in the air, often high above treetops, but also low (c. 1 m) above open water, usually streams (8).
Sounds and Vocal Behavior
Song described as a “rich chatter decelerating into a series of “tchip” notes followed by high wiry “pseet-seet” notes” (1); the “chip” notes possess a smacking quality and may be given singly, doubled or tripled, or in bursts of up to 20 notes, with a highly variable or irregular sequence (9). Overall very similar to T. pella.
Breeding
Few nesting data, but at least five nests with eggs, one in Amazonas (W Brazil) in May, two in Acre (SW Brazil) both in Jul (1) and two in E Ecuador in Apr (10), birds coming into breeding condition in S Venezuela in Feb, Apr (2) and May, with additional evidence of nesting in E Ecuador in Feb and Aug (1). Display flights by males, apparently usually (or exclusively) over water, are designed in part to reveal the black tibial feathering (11). Nests found at 1–3 m, on dead branches and sometimes partially submerged in water. The cup-shaped nest, consisting of soft greyish or brownish fibres of Bombax seeds and cobweb, is fairly small compared with the size of the bird; height 52 mm, external diameter 50 mm, internal diameter 31 mm (12). Clutch size two white eggs ; incubation by female, time unknown; no further information.
Conservation Status
Not globally threatened. CITES II. Locally common but frequently considered rare due to its secretive habits in the treetops. No abundance data available, but has recently been discovered on N bank of Amazon R in W Brazil opposite Alvarães, near Tefé (Amazonas). Appears to have declined following extensive logging in E Ecuador (R Napo), but range has recently been extended much further S in E Peru, to Ucayali (5). Former race pamprepta not been recorded in R Napo area for decades, but recent research indicated that pampreta specimens from Ecuador are in fact typical pyra (1). Present in Serra do Divisor (6), Jaú (13) and Pico da Neblina National Parks (Brazil) (1), and Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve and Yasuni National Park (Ecuador).
- Year-round
- Migration
- Breeding
- Non-Breeding
