Grey-tailed mountaingem

The grey-tailed mountaingem is treated as a species by the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW). However, the North American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society and the Clements taxonomy treat it as a subspecies of the white-throated mountaingem (Lampornis castaneoventris).[3][4][5][6]

Female

The grey-tailed mountaingem is about 12 cm (4.7 in) long and weighs about 6 g (0.21 oz). It has a medium-length straight black bill, dark cheeks, and a white stripe behind the eye. Males have mostly dark bronzy green upperparts with an emerald green crown and a gray tail. Their chin and throat are white, the sides of the neck and upper breast bright green, and the lower breast and vent area dark gray. Females have entirely bright green upperparts and a gray tail. Their throat and belly are dark rufous and the undertail coverts are gray with white or buff edges.[7]

The grey-tailed mountaingem is found only in the Cordillera de Talamanca of southern Costa Rica. It inhabits the interior, edges, and shrubby clearings of oak forest and also gardens in communities near the forest. In elevation it ranges from 1,500 m (4,900 ft) up to timberline.[7]

The IUCN has assessed the grey-tailed mountaingem as being of Least Concern, though it has a small range and its population size and trend are unknown.[1] It is considered fairly common in the right habitat. However, "this hummingbird is potentially threatened by human activities" such as deforestation for timber and agriculture.[7]

• Stiles, F. Gary & Skutch, Alexander F. (1990): A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-9600-4