Sapphire-spangled Emerald Chionomesa lactea Scientific name definitions

Sapphire-spangled Emeralds frequent rainforest edges, humid or gallery forests, second growth, clearings, orchards, and gardens. Males defend flower territories and are rather diverse in their flower preferences. These emeralds can be difficult to identify in the field: they are mostly olive-green above with whitish middle and lower underparts. In favorable lighting, their throats sparkle with violet-blue.

8–11 cm; Male has straight, medium-sized bill; crown, neck, and flanks bronze-green; rest of upperparts golden- to bronze-green; throat , upper breast glittering violet-blue; center of breast white, belly grayish, undertail coverts whitish with brown basal streak; median rectrices basally shining green or bronzy green (darkening distally), laterally as outer rectrices bluish black. Female has throat more grayish, with discs rather glittering turquoise than violet; outermost rectrices with grayish tips (1 Ruschi, A. (1986). Aves do Brasil. Beija-flores. Volume 5. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (In Portuguese and English.) Close ,2 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close , 3 Sick, H. (1993). Birds in Brazil. A Natural History. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close , 4 Weller, A.-A. (1999). Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Polyerata lactea). In Handbook of the birds of the World, Volume 5: Barn-owls to hummingbirds (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott and J. Sargatal), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 601. Close ).

Sapphire-spangled Emerald is sympatric with similar Glittering-throated Emerald (Amazilia fimbriata), which also has white central underparts stripe, but throat and breast in present species are glittering purplish blue (not green) (5 Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, D. F. Lane, J. P. O’Neill, and T. A. Parker (2007). Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ).

Juvenile

Juvenile has extended grayish areas on underparts; juvenile male resembles adult female in throat coloration (4 Weller, A.-A. (1999). Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Polyerata lactea). In Handbook of the birds of the World, Volume 5: Barn-owls to hummingbirds (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott and J. Sargatal), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 601. Close ).

Adult

Female

Female has throat more grayish, with discs rather glittering turquoise than violet; outermost rectrices with grayish tips (1 Ruschi, A. (1986). Aves do Brasil. Beija-flores. Volume 5. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (In Portuguese and English.) Close , 2 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close , 3 Sick, H. (1993). Birds in Brazil. A Natural History. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close , 4 Weller, A.-A. (1999). Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Polyerata lactea). In Handbook of the birds of the World, Volume 5: Barn-owls to hummingbirds (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott and J. Sargatal), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 601. Close ).

Male

Male has straight, medium-sized bill; crown, neck, and flanks bronze-green; rest of upperparts golden- to bronze-green; throat , upper breast glittering violet-blue ; center of breast white, belly grayish, undertail coverts whitish with brown basal streak; median rectrices basally shining green or bronzy green (darkening distally), laterally as outer rectrices bluish black.

Iris

Dark.

Bill

Maxilla blackish, mandible pinkish to horn-colored with grayish or blackish tip

Tarsi and Toes

Dark.

Linear Measurements

Overall length 8–11 cm.

Mass

3.6–5 g (2 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close , 6 Oniki, Y. (1996). Band sizes of southeastern Brazilian hummingbirds. J. Field Orn.. 67(3): 387–391. Close ).

Sometimes placed in genus Polyerata or Agyrtria, or, alternatively, in Hylocharis (7 Boucard, A. (1892). Genera of humming birds. Humming Bird 2: 1-56. Close , 8 Berlepsch, H.V. and Stolzmann, J. (1902). On the ornithological researches of M. Jean Kalinowski in central Peru. Proc. Zool. Soc. London. 70: 18-60. Close , 9 Ruschi, A. (1949). Nests and eggs of the Trochilidae: Pygmornis ruber ruber (Linnaeus); Florisuga mellivora mellivora (Linnaeus); Agyrtrina leucogaster bahiae (Hartert); Agyrtrina fimbriata nigricauda (Elliot); Leucochloris albicollis (Vieillot); Heliothryx auritus auriculatus (Nordman); and Calliphlox amethystina (Boddaert). Bol. Mus. Biol. Mello Leitão, Biol. 6: 1–3. Close , 10 Zimmer, J.T. (1950). Studies of Peruvian birds 59. The genera Polytmus, Leucippus, and Amazilia. Amer. Mus. Novit.. 1475: 1–27. Close ). Closely related to Glittering-throated Emerald (Amazilia fimbriata) (4 Weller, A.-A. (1999). Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Polyerata lactea). In Handbook of the birds of the World, Volume 5: Barn-owls to hummingbirds (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott and J. Sargatal), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 601. Close ). Subspecies bartletti has, in the past been considered a full species (11 Bond, J., and R. Meyer de Schauensee (1943). The birds of Bolivia. Part II. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 95: 167–221. Close , 12 Gyldenstolpe, N. (1945). A contribution to the ornithology of northern Bolivia. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar 23(1):1–300. Close , 13 del Hoyo, J., N. J. Collar, G. M. Kirwan and P. Boesman (2019). Spot-vented Emerald (Amazilia bartletti). In Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie and E. de Juana), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Available from https://www.hbw.com/node/467225. Close ), and geographically remote race zimmeri has been tentatively suggested as sufficiently distinctive to merit being split as a species (14 Weller, A.-A., G. M. Kirwan and P. Boesman (2019). Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Amazilia lactea). In Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie and E. de Juana), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Available from https://www.hbw.com/node/55501. Close ). Three subspecies currently recognized.

Male of geographically isolated race zimmeri has a reduced violet patch on throat/upper breast, with grayish-fringed feathers and slightly longer wings and tail (15 Gilliard, E. T. (1941). The birds of Mt. Auyan-Tepui, Venezuela. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 77:439–508. Close ), and female is whiter below on throat patch and belly. Males of race bartletti have a brighter green crown, more conspicuous grayish fringing to throat feathers, greenish cener of belly, below grayish, and undertail coverts with prominent brown centers. The female is similar to male, but duller, the throat and breast flecked with white and gray, and is generally whiter below than females of nominate lactea (10 Zimmer, J.T. (1950). Studies of Peruvian birds 59. The genera Polytmus, Leucippus, and Amazilia. Amer. Mus. Novit.. 1475: 1–27. Close , 4 Weller, A.-A. (1999). Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Polyerata lactea). In Handbook of the birds of the World, Volume 5: Barn-owls to hummingbirds (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott and J. Sargatal), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 601. Close ).

Three subspecies recognized herein (16 Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood (2019). The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA. Close ).

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EBIRD GROUP (POLYTYPIC)

Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Sapphire-spangled) Chionomesa lactea lactea/zimmeri

Available illustrations of subspecies in this group

• eBird map
• 62 photos
• 2 recordings

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SUBSPECIES

Chionomesa lactea zimmeri Scientific name definitions

Distribution

SE Venezuela (C and S Bolívar) (15 Gilliard, E. T. (1941). The birds of Mt. Auyan-Tepui, Venezuela. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 77:439–508. Close , 17 Meyer de Schauensee, R., and W. H. Phelps (1978). A Guide to the Birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close , 18 Sánchez, C. (1995). Distribución Geográfica de la Familia Trochilidae (Aves: Apodiformes) en Venezuela con algunas Implicaciones Biogeográficas. MSc thesis, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas. Close ).

Identification Summary

Race zimmeri differs from nominate lactea in its slightly longer wings and tail; violet-blue throat patch extending down only to upper breast vs extending to upper belly; undertail-coverts white with gray streak around shaft vs white; female whiter below on throat patch and belly (15 Gilliard, E. T. (1941). The birds of Mt. Auyan-Tepui, Venezuela. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 77:439–508. Close ); thus, only a minor difference in voice would take it to species status (14 Weller, A.-A., G. M. Kirwan and P. Boesman (2019). Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Amazilia lactea). In Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie and E. de Juana), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Available from https://www.hbw.com/node/55501. Close ).

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SUBSPECIES

Chionomesa lactea lactea Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E Brazil from C Bahia to Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and Parana (1 Ruschi, A. (1986). Aves do Brasil. Beija-flores. Volume 5. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (In Portuguese and English.) Close , 19 Pacheco, J.F., Parrini, R., Fonseca, P.S.M., Whitney, B.M. and Maciel, N.C. (1996). Novos registros de aves para o Estado do Rio de Janeiro: Região Norte. Atualidades Orn.. 72: 10–12. Close , 20 Pacheco, J.F., Parrini, R., Whitney, B.M., Fonseca, P.S.M. and Bauer, C. (1996). Novos registros de aves para o Estado do Rio de Janeiro: Vale de Paraíba Norte. Atualidades Orn.. 73: 6. Close , 21 Anjos, L., K. L. Schuchmann, and R. Berndt (1997). Avifaunal composition, species richness, and status in the Tibagi River Basin, Paraná state, southern Brazil. Ornitología Neotropical 8(2):145–173. Close ).

Identification Summary

Described under Plumages.

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EBIRD GROUP (MONOTYPIC)

Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Spot-vented) Chionomesa lactea bartletti Scientific name definitions

• eBird map
• 72 photos
• 8 recordings

Distribution

E & SE Peru (S from San Martín) (8 Berlepsch, H.V. and Stolzmann, J. (1902). On the ornithological researches of M. Jean Kalinowski in central Peru. Proc. Zool. Soc. London. 70: 18-60. Close , 22 Parker, T. A., S. A. Parker, and M. A. Plenge (1982). An Annotated Checklist of Peruvian Birds. Buteo Books, Vermillion, SD, USA. Close , 23 Terborgh, J., J. W. Fitzpatrick, and L. Emmons (1984). Annotated checklist of bird and mammal species of Cocha Cashu Biological Station, Manu National Park, Peru. Fieldiana Zoology (New Series) 21:1–29. Close , 24 Donahue, P. (1994). Birds of Tambopata. A Checklist. Tambopata Reserve Society, London, UK. Close ), N Bolivia (Pando, La Paz, Beni and Santa Cruz) (11 Bond, J., and R. Meyer de Schauensee (1943). The birds of Bolivia. Part II. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 95: 167–221. Close , 12 Gyldenstolpe, N. (1945). A contribution to the ornithology of northern Bolivia. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar 23(1):1–300. Close , 25 Remsen, J. V., and M. A. Traylor (1989). An Annotated List of the Birds of Bolivia. Buteo Books, Vermillion, SD, USA. Close ), and adjacent W Brazil (Acre and SW Amazonas); doubtfully extreme E Ecuador (Napo)(26 Ridgely, R. S., and P. J. Greenfield (2001). The Birds of Ecuador. Volumes 1–2. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York, USA. Close ).

Identification Summary

Following del Hoyo et al. (13 del Hoyo, J., N. J. Collar, G. M. Kirwan and P. Boesman (2019). Spot-vented Emerald (Amazilia bartletti). In Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie and E. de Juana), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Available from https://www.hbw.com/node/467225. Close ) and Zimmer (10 Zimmer, J.T. (1950). Studies of Peruvian birds 59. The genera Polytmus, Leucippus, and Amazilia. Amer. Mus. Novit.. 1475: 1–27. Close ), race bartletti differs from nominate lactea in its somewhat brighter green crown in male; narrow white edges of blue throat patch in male (but not all specimens); dark gray centers of white vent feathers making for a patterned vs plain vent; slightly larger size with (generally) distinctly longer bill (2 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ); female whiter below than female lactea (which looks like male bartletti). Differs from zimmeri in its longer bill (same length as lactea) (but zimmeri n = 4 only); violet-blue throat patch extending to entire breast vs extending down only to upper breast; crown dull shining green vs matt bronzy; undertail-coverts gray with white fringes vs white with gray streak around shaft.

Sapphire-spangled Emerald is found in E & SE Peru (S from San Martín), N Bolivia (Pando, La Paz, Beni and Santa Cruz) and adjacent W Brazil (Acre and SW Amazonas), E Brazil from C Bahia to Minas Gerais and Parana (27 Meyer de Schauensee, R. (1966). The Species of Birds of South America and their Distribution. Livingston Publishing Company, Narbeth, Pennsylvania, USA. Close , 1 Ruschi, A. (1986). Aves do Brasil. Beija-flores. Volume 5. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (In Portuguese and English.) Close , 3 Sick, H. (1993). Birds in Brazil. A Natural History. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close , 28 Stotz, D. F., J. W. Fitzpatrick, T. A. Parker, and D. K. Moskovits (1996). Neotropical Birds: Ecology and Conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, USA, and London, UK. Close , 4 Weller, A.-A. (1999). Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Polyerata lactea). In Handbook of the birds of the World, Volume 5: Barn-owls to hummingbirds (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott and J. Sargatal), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 601. Close , 5 Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, D. F. Lane, J. P. O’Neill, and T. A. Parker (2007). Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ) and, somewhat disjunctly, in SE Venezuela (C and S Bolívar) (29 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). It is also tentatively reported from extreme eastern Ecuador (26 Ridgely, R. S., and P. J. Greenfield (2001). The Birds of Ecuador. Volumes 1–2. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York, USA. Close ).

Inhabits edges of rainforest, gallery forest, second growth, river borders and clearings (30 Sick, H. (1997). Ornitologia Brasileira. Editora Nova Fronteira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ); particularly in south of range often found in open to semi-open habitats such as cerrados, campos rupestres (31 Cintra, R. and Yamashita, C. (1990). Habitats, abundância e occorência das espécies de aves do Pantanal de Poconé, Mato Grosso, Brasil. Pap. Avuls. Dept. Zool. São Paulo. 37(1): 1–21. Close , 32 Silva, J. M. C. (1996). Distribution of Amazonian and Atlantic birds in gallery forests of the Cerrado Region, South America. Orn. Neotropical 7(1):1–18. Close , 33 Vasconcelos, M.F. and Lombardi, J.A. (1999). Padrão sazonal na ocorrência de seis espécies de beija-flores (Apodiformes: Trochilidae) em uma localidade de campo rupestre na Serra do Curral, Minas Gerais. Ararajuba. 7(2): 71–79. Close , 34 Vidoz, J. Q., A. E. Jahn, and A. M. Mamani (2010). The avifauna of Estación Biológica Caparú, Bolivia. Cotinga 32:5–22. Close ), capoeiras, parks, orchards, gardens, etc. (3 Sick, H. (1993). Birds in Brazil. A Natural History. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ); locally recorded in Eucalyptus plantations (35 Machado, R. B., and I. R. Lamas (1996). Avifauna associada a um reflorestamento de eucalipto no município de Antônio Dias, Minas Gerais. Ararajuba 4(1):15–22. Close ). Normally occurs below 1000 m, reaching 1400 m in Pantepui region of Venezuela (although recorded from 300 m in this country, most records are above 1100 m) (29 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); SE Brazilian population mainly found close to sea-level, but locally recorded to c. 1300 m (33 Vasconcelos, M.F. and Lombardi, J.A. (1999). Padrão sazonal na ocorrência de seis espécies de beija-flores (Apodiformes: Trochilidae) em uma localidade de campo rupestre na Serra do Curral, Minas Gerais. Ararajuba. 7(2): 71–79. Close ).

Performs poorly documented short-distance, seasonal movements (see below).

Southern populations are short-distance migrants, with occasional records in the Brazilian states of Goiás#R and Santa Catarina (36 Rosário, L. A. (1996). As Aves em Santa Catarina. Distribuição Geográfica e Meio Ambiente. FATMA, Florianópolis, Brazil. Close ), as well as in NE Argentina (Misiones), apparently symptomatic of this (31 Cintra, R. and Yamashita, C. (1990). Habitats, abundância e occorência das espécies de aves do Pantanal de Poconé, Mato Grosso, Brasil. Pap. Avuls. Dept. Zool. São Paulo. 37(1): 1–21. Close , 37 Chebez, J.C., Castillo, R. and Güller, R. (2004). Notas sobre picaflores del noreste argentino. Hornero. 19(1): 1–5. Close ). In the last-named country, first recorded in Apr 2001 (37 Chebez, J.C., Castillo, R. and Güller, R. (2004). Notas sobre picaflores del noreste argentino. Hornero. 19(1): 1–5. Close ) and subsequently in Aug 2004 (38 Güller, R.M. and Oste, N. (2011). Nuevo registro del Picaflor Pecho Azul (Amazilia lactea) en Argentina. Nuestras Aves. 56: 12–13. Close ). Study at higher altitudes in state of Minas Gerais (SE Brazil) recorded the species almost entirely in Dec–Mar, and again in Jul, with records almost exclusively linked to the flowering of one species of Verbenaceae (see Food and feeding) (33 Vasconcelos, M.F. and Lombardi, J.A. (1999). Padrão sazonal na ocorrência de seis espécies de beija-flores (Apodiformes: Trochilidae) em uma localidade de campo rupestre na Serra do Curral, Minas Gerais. Ararajuba. 7(2): 71–79. Close ), while further N, in C Bahia, A. lactea appeared in similar habitat (campo rupestre) only in Dec and Mar–May (wet and early dry seasons) (39 Machado, C.G., Coelho, A.G., Santana, C.S. and Rodrigues, M. (2007). Beija-flores e seus recursos florais em uma área de campo rupestre da Chapada Diamantina, Bahia. Rev. Bras. Orn. 15(2): 267–279. Close ). Nothing is known concerning any movements by Venezuelan population.

Forages for nectar at a great variety of native and introduced plants. Insects are caught in the air by hawking and there is a record of a bird taking them from a spider’s web. Male establishes feeding territory.

Some preferred plant families are Leguminosaceae, Malvaceae, Heliconiaceae, Bromeliaceae, and Rubiaceae (40 Snow, D.W. and Teixeira, D.M. (1982). Hummingbirds and their flowers in the coastal mountains of southeastern Brazil. Journal of Ornithology. 123(4): 446–450. Close , 41 Rojas, R. and Ribon, R. (1997). Guilda de aves em Bowdichia virgllioides (Fabaceae: Faboideae) em área de cerrado de Furnas, Minas Gerais. Ararajuba. 5(2): 189–194. Close , 39 Machado, C.G., Coelho, A.G., Santana, C.S. and Rodrigues, M. (2007). Beija-flores e seus recursos florais em uma área de campo rupestre da Chapada Diamantina, Bahia. Rev. Bras. Orn. 15(2): 267–279. Close , 42 Moura, A.S. and Soares Júnior, F.J. (2010). Ornitofilia (polinização por aves) em Aechmea maculata L.B. Smith (Bromeliaceae), registrada em um pequeno fragmento florestal no município de Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Atualidades Orn.. 158: 57–60. Close ). In Bolivia, observed taking nectar from ground bromeliad flowers (Bromelia serra) (43 Niethammer, G. (1953). Zur Vogelwelt Boliviens. Bonn. zool. Beitr.. 4: 195-303. Close ). In parks and suburban areas often found at flowering shrubs and trees , such as Inga, Citrus, Eucalyptus, and Genipa, or the ornamental Bauhinia variegata (44 Vasconcelos, M.F., D’Angelo Neto, S. and Mota, R.C. (2006). Nota da história natural II: observações sobre beija-flores e patas-de-vaca (Bauhinia spp.) em Minas Gerais, Brasil. Atualidades Ornitológicas. 133: 4–5. Close ); in cerrado visits flowers such as Bowdichia virgllioides (Fabaceae) (41 Rojas, R. and Ribon, R. (1997). Guilda de aves em Bowdichia virgllioides (Fabaceae: Faboideae) em área de cerrado de Furnas, Minas Gerais. Ararajuba. 5(2): 189–194. Close ); in campo rupestre in Minas Gerais, all but one of 173 observations of feeding were at Stachytarpheta glabra (Verbenaceae), with the other at Lafoensia sp. (Lythraceae) (33 Vasconcelos, M.F. and Lombardi, J.A. (1999). Padrão sazonal na ocorrência de seis espécies de beija-flores (Apodiformes: Trochilidae) em uma localidade de campo rupestre na Serra do Curral, Minas Gerais. Ararajuba. 7(2): 71–79. Close ), whereas in similar habitat in C Bahia A. lactea was observed foraging at flowers of Hohenbergia ramageana (Bromeliaceae), Prepusa montana (Gentianaceae), Cuphea ericoides (Lythraceae), Calliandra mucugeana (Mimosaceae) and Stachytarpheta crassifolia (Verbenaceae), and its chief competitor for these resources was Chlorostilbon lucidus (39 Machado, C.G., Coelho, A.G., Santana, C.S. and Rodrigues, M. (2007). Beija-flores e seus recursos florais em uma área de campo rupestre da Chapada Diamantina, Bahia. Rev. Bras. Orn. 15(2): 267–279. Close ). In another SE Brazilian study, focused exclusively on hummingbirds visiting flowering Eucalyptus (of a variety of species), the present was one of four dominant species, usually at lower levels than two of the other dominant trochilids (Black Jacobin Florisuga fusca and Sombre Hummingbird Aphantochroa cirrochloris), except at the very start of a flowering event when A. lactea was usually the first species to establish a feeding territory and would occupy a wider range of heights above ground; time-activity budgets differed between periods with fewer or a greater number of flowers, during the latter spending on average more time feeding (c. 50%) and resting (c. 35%), rather than in territory defence, whereas when smaller numbers of flowers were available, defending territories acquired much greater important and occupied > 50% of the time (45 Antunes, A.Z. (2003). Partilha de néctar de Eucalyptus spp., territorialidade e hierarquia de dominância em beija-flores (Aves: Trochilidae) no sudeste do Brasil. Ararajuba. 11(1): 39–44. Close ).

Song is a repeated buzzy insect-like, high-pitched trill , “tzee … tzitzitzee … tzitzitzee … tzitzitzee” or “tseeririri...tseeririri…” Calls include “tsip” and “chup” notes (1 Ruschi, A. (1986). Aves do Brasil. Beija-flores. Volume 5. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (In Portuguese and English.) Close , 4 Weller, A.-A. (1999). Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Polyerata lactea). In Handbook of the birds of the World, Volume 5: Barn-owls to hummingbirds (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott and J. Sargatal), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 601. Close , 5 Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, D. F. Lane, J. P. O’Neill, and T. A. Parker (2007). Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ).

The nest and eggs have been described or mentioned several times in the literature but, overall, the breeding of Sapphire-spangled Emerald is poorly known.

Few data. Breeds Oct–Jan (4 Weller, A.-A. (1999). Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Polyerata lactea). In Handbook of the birds of the World, Volume 5: Barn-owls to hummingbirds (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott and J. Sargatal), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 601. Close ).

Saddled over a small branch or twig (2 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close , 1 Ruschi, A. (1986). Aves do Brasil. Beija-flores. Volume 5. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (In Portuguese and English.) Close ). One nest in Bolivia constructed 2 m up in papaya tree (43 Niethammer, G. (1953). Zur Vogelwelt Boliviens. Bonn. zool. Beitr.. 4: 195-303. Close ).

Nest cup-shaped, built of plant down, cobweb, outside covered with lichens; height 49 mm, external diameter 41 mm, internal diameter 23 mm (43 Niethammer, G. (1953). Zur Vogelwelt Boliviens. Bonn. zool. Beitr.. 4: 195-303. Close , 2 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ).

Clutch two white eggs, size 14 mm × 9 mm, mass 0·46 g (2 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ). Incubation lasts 14 days and is performed by the female (43 Niethammer, G. (1953). Zur Vogelwelt Boliviens. Bonn. zool. Beitr.. 4: 195-303. Close , 2 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ).

Chick darkish, with some buff dorsal down; fledging period 22–23 days (43 Niethammer, G. (1953). Zur Vogelwelt Boliviens. Bonn. zool. Beitr.. 4: 195-303. Close , 2 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ).

BirdLife International currently treats Amazilia lactea as two species (46 del Hoyo, J., and N. J. Collar (2014). HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1. Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ), the nominate (including subspecies zimmeri) and bartletti; both are classified as Least Concern (47 BirdLife International (2021). Species factsheet: Amazilia lactea. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 13 July 2021. Close , 48 BirdLife International (2021). Species factsheet: Amazilia bartletti. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 13 July 2021. Close ). CITES II. Common to very common in western and eastern parts of range (28 Stotz, D. F., J. W. Fitzpatrick, T. A. Parker, and D. K. Moskovits (1996). Neotropical Birds: Ecology and Conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, USA, and London, UK. Close ), notably in Brazil, where occurs in several protected areas, e.g. Serra dos Orgãos and Itatiaia National Parks (Rio de Janeiro) and Serra do Cipó National Park (Minas Gerais) (14 Weller, A.-A., G. M. Kirwan and P. Boesman (2019). Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Amazilia lactea). In Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie and E. de Juana), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Available from https://www.hbw.com/node/55501. Close ). Considered to be fairly common in central and southern Peru (22 Parker, T. A., S. A. Parker, and M. A. Plenge (1982). An Annotated Checklist of Peruvian Birds. Buteo Books, Vermillion, SD, USA. Close , 5 Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, D. F. Lane, J. P. O’Neill, and T. A. Parker (2007). Birds of Peru. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ). Status in N Bolivia very poorly known, where reported from Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (49 Brace, R. C., J. Hornbuckle, and J. W. Pearce-Higgins (1997). The avifauna of the Beni Biological Station, Bolivia. Bird Conservation International 7(2):117–159. Close ) and, more recently, from Caparú Biological Station (Santa Cruz) (34 Vidoz, J. Q., A. E. Jahn, and A. M. Mamani (2010). The avifauna of Estación Biológica Caparú, Bolivia. Cotinga 32:5–22. Close ). Known from single sight record from lowlands of E Ecuador (Jan 1995) (26 Ridgely, R. S., and P. J. Greenfield (2001). The Birds of Ecuador. Volumes 1–2. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York, USA. Close ). Current distribution and population size in Venezuela require confirmation, where race zimmeri is very local and disjunct in range, and known from comparatively few sites in Bolívar (18 Sánchez, C. (1995). Distribución Geográfica de la Familia Trochilidae (Aves: Apodiformes) en Venezuela con algunas Implicaciones Biogeográficas. MSc thesis, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas. Close , 29 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); the northernmost, Auyán Tepui (15 Gilliard, E. T. (1941). The birds of Mt. Auyan-Tepui, Venezuela. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 77:439–508. Close , 17 Meyer de Schauensee, R., and W. H. Phelps (1978). A Guide to the Birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ), is located in Canaima National Park.