Blue-mantled Thornbill Chalcostigma stanleyi Scientific name definitions

These short-billed hummingbirds are dark overall with blue tails. They inhabit páramo grasslands and humid Polylepis woodlands where they are most common in steep, rocky regions. Blue-mantled Thornbills usually forage by gleaning from foliage, fluttering their wings while they do. However, individuals also occasionally forage from the ground or hawk for insects. During times of extreme weathers, these thornbills migrate to lower elevations

12–13 cm; male 6·2 g, female 4·5 g. Male has short, straight, black bill ; body dark sooty brown; uppertail-coverts turquoise; crown and nape with bronzy green, back with violet-blue reflections; throat patch narrow and emerald-green, with elongation (“beard ”) grading from pink to purple-violet distally, sometimes tipped violet-blue; tail forked, steel blue. Female similar, but throat patch without “beard” and incomplete; outer tail feathers with paler tips. Juvenile similar to adult female. Race versigularis has upperparts completely covered with deeper violet-blue reflections, “beard” with narrower pink tip; vulcani resembles previous race, but elongation of throat patch grades from pink to blue-grey or grey-violet distally.

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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.

Slopes with rather humid páramo and jalca vegetation, especially steep and rocky places, where it inhabits small patches of Gynoxys or Polylepis woodland and scrub . Usually between 3000 m and 4200 m, but occasionally as low as 2200 m. Normally at higher elevations than C. herrani. Forages on the ground and in lower strata.

Feeds on nectar of small flowers of Berberis, Gauteria, Ribes and a tiny red Gentiana. Observed to glean sugary secretions and tiny cicadas and aphids from the undersides of Gynoxys leaves while clinging, often with fluttering wings, to the foliage. Picks up insects while hopping on densely matted grass or rocks. Occasionally hawks for airborne insects. Defends feeding territories.

Main call  a descending squeaky twitter followed by a mellower upslurred note and a downslurred “tseetsitsitsitsitr-whee-tsew” and similar variations.