Green-fronted Lancebill Doryfera ludovicae Scientific name definitions

The Green-fronted Lancebill is a greenish cloud forest hummingbird notable for its long, very straight bill that is slightly upturned near the tip. It feeds on the nectar of long, tubular flowers by hovering beneath them and probing upward, and typically "trap-lines" amongst favored plants. Its nest is often placed under an overhang or root along a stream or ledge, and is constructed of moss and treefern scales held together with cobwebs and other fibers. It occurs in Costa Rica and Panama as well as in the Andes from Venezuela south to Bolivia. It is distinguished from the partly sympatric Blue-fronted Lancebill (D. johannae) by its bright green (rather than blue) forecrown and preference for higher elevations.

11–13 cm; male 5·9 g, female 5·5 g (veraguensis), male 5·9–7·1 g (1 Oniki, Y., and E. O. Willis (1991). Morphometrics, molt, cloacal temperatures and ectoparasites in Colombian birds. Caldasia 16(79):519–524. Close ), female 6·0 g, unsexed 5·1–6·1 g (nominate). Long- (32–34 mm) and straight-billed hummingbird. Male of nominate race has frontlet glittering pale green, crown and nape dark coppery bronze, shading to bronzy green on back; uppertail-coverts blue, tinged grey-blue distally; tail black, narrowly tipped dull grey; underparts dull, dark greenish bronze, darker and greener on throat. Female similar but frontlet usually smaller and sometimes lacking, underparts greyer on average, grey tips to rectrices usually broader. Race veraguensis smaller and more dichromatic; male darker, duskier green below, darker bronze on crown and nape providing increased contrast with frontlet; female greyer below with more purplish-bronze crown, paler grey tips to rectrices. Immature tends to be greyer below, with duller bronzy crown and reduced frontlet.

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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.

Usually silent. Song apparently undescribed. Call, usually given in flight, a repeated short “tsik” or “tchik”, at a rate of c. 2 notes/second. Notes sometimes rapidly doubled or tripled “tchik...tchi-tchi-tchik....tchik...tchi-tchik...”. Also a gravelly squeak.

In Costa Rica breeds in latter half of wet season to start of dry, Aug–Jan; in Colombia nesting recorded between Jul and late Jan; nest in E Peru with eggs in mid Sept, with others in NW Ecuador in Jun–Jan, while in E Ecuador 36 nests were found between Sept 2001 and Mar 2002. Nest (constructed by female over period of 12–16 days) a rather bulky cup of moss, tree-fern scales, fine fibres and cobwebs in dark, usually humid site; generally attached to hanging rootlet or vine under rock overhang in dark ravine or gorge (in which case lower part often elongated to form a cylindrical structure) but sometimes attached to wire under bridge or roof; less often on small ledge in gorge or cave. Frequently nests alongside streams, typically 0·8–6 m above ground. Clutch typically two white eggs, size 15·6–15·7 mm × 11·1 mm (E Peru) or 14·1–15·7 mm × 9·1–10 mm (E Ecuador); incubation 19–21 days; fledging period 25+ days (young frightened by people, might have left 1–2 days later if undisturbed) at one nest, but in Ecuadorian study was 29–30 days. In latter country, nest success estimated at 42·1% (0·58 young fledged per nest).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Generally uncommon (or occasionally rare) to locally fairly common in suitable habitat throughout range, which includes several protected areas for both races, e.g. Tapantí National Park (Costa Rica), Río Nambi Reserve (Colombia) and Pasochoa Forest Reserve (Ecuador). Will tolerate moderate disturbance caused by selective logging and forest fragmentation, and evidently can take advantage of remnant forest strips along streams as corridors for altitudinal movements.