#hillstar

Black-breasted Hillstar (Oreotrochilus melanogaster), male, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, endemic to Peru

Tw: Swearing 🤬

(I change Hill and Fuzzy’s fur coat cuz them just being white was a bit boring and they kinda looked similar because of it)

The blue-throated hillstar (Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus) is a newly discovered hummingbird species found in Ecuador. The restricted area in which the blue-throated hillstar is found has historically been largely unexplored by ornithologists, meaning that it was previously unobserved; due to its reclusiveness, much is still to be discovered about the bird. (BBC, 2018.) Additionally, it's very possible that other unknown birds are yet to be found in this area. The blue-throated hillstar has a slightly curved beak specialized for feeding on the nectar of the chuquiragua shrub's flowers. This tiny bird is able to consume up to twice its body weight in nectar. Despite only having been discovered in 2017, and subsequently named in September of 2018, the blue-throated hillstar has already been declared to be endangered, with only an estimated 750 individuals remaining. Habitat restoration & conservation efforts are underway in order to protect the newly found hummingbird. (Dhanesha, N., 2021.)

BBC. (2018, October 2). New hummingbird species spotted in Ecuador. BBC News. Retrieved May 2, 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45717740

Chimborazo Hillstar or Ecuadoran Hillstar (Oreotrochilus chimborazo), male, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, found in the Andes of Ecuador and southern Colombia

This hummingbird goes into torpor, basically going into hibernation, nightly, to deal with the cold temperatures of Andean mountain nights.

A population of these birds was found to be living in colonies in caves, which is unheard of amongst hummingbirds.

Chimborazo Hillstar or Ecuadoran Hillstar (Oreotrochilus chimborazo), family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, found on the slopes of Mt. Chimborazo, Ecuador

This hummingbird goes into torpor, basically going into hibernation, nightly, to deal with the cold temperatures of Andean mountain nights.