Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Sparkling-tailed Woodstar

Tilmatura dupontii

The Sparkling-tailed Woodstar, scientifically known as Tilmatura dupontii, is a diminutive and enchanting hummingbird. Males are distinguished by their metallic green upperparts and a striking violet blue gorget, while females boast metallic bronze or green upperparts with cinnamon underparts. The species is notable for the male's deeply forked tail, adorned with purplish black feathers tipped in white and banded in chestnut.

Identification Tips

When observing the Sparkling-tailed Woodstar, look for the long, straight, black bill and the conspicuous white patch on each side of the rump. Males range from 8.2 to 10.1 cm in length, with females slightly smaller at 5.8 to 7.5 cm. The male's tail is particularly elongated and bifurcated, while the female's tail is only slightly forked.

Habitat

This species favors semi-open landscapes, often found at the edges of pine-oak forests, secondary growth, and scrubby woods. It thrives at elevations between 750 to 2,500 meters, though it can occasionally be spotted near sea level.

Distribution

The Sparkling-tailed Woodstar graces the skies from Sinaloa and Veracruz in Mexico, through Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, and into northern Nicaragua. Its presence is discontinuous, creating pockets of populations across this range.

Behaviour

While the details of their movements are not fully understood, Sparkling-tailed Woodstars may seasonally descend to lower elevations. They exhibit a slow, bee-like flight as they forage for nectar, following a trap-lining pattern among a variety of flowering plants.

Song & Calls

The song of the Sparkling-tailed Woodstar is a high, thin, musical squeaking that continues for many seconds, rising and falling in pitch. It is often delivered from a high, exposed perch. Additionally, they emit high, sharp, twittering chirps.

Breeding

Breeding behaviors and phenology remain largely a mystery for this species. However, individuals in breeding condition have been found in August, suggesting that the breeding season encompasses at least this month.

Similar Species

There are no similar species within its genus, as the Sparkling-tailed Woodstar is the sole member of Tilmatura.

Diet and Feeding

The Sparkling-tailed Woodstar consumes nectar from a variety of plants, feeding at all levels of vegetation. It also supplements its diet with insects, which it catches in flight from a perch.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the Sparkling-tailed Woodstar as Least Concern due to its large range and presumed stable population. However, in Mexico, the species is considered threatened due to habitat pressures and its scattered distribution.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Sparkling-tailed Woodstars on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Hummingbirds

A photo of a Speckled Hummingbird (Adelomyia melanogenys)

Speckled Hummingbird

Adelomyia melanogenys
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
EandB17
Terrific App for Birders
Downloaded Birda around the time my interest in birding was sparked, and it has been a terrific app to help me (1) share my experience, (2) document my sightings, and (3) learn more about birds in general. That said, I also believe Birda is a fantastic app for birders of all experience levels. Great community!
Marlster24
Recommend for any bird watcher
Very wholesome app: I joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😃
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Pdydhdrexgi
Fantastic App
This is a really lovely app, for everyone interested in birds - from newbies to old hands. There is a very friendly feel to the community and you will genuinely learn a lot as you record your sightings and photos. There are lots of badges and competitions to keep you engaged, and a host of really useful features.
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Jane N
A great app
Enjoying it immensely and finding it useful too. Recording the different birds and counting them is showing me how the present climate is affecting them all. I've trebled the numbers by planting native hedging. A great app.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.