Stripe-breasted Starthroat

Identification

The stripe-breasted starthroat is a small hummingbird, measuring 11.2 to 12.4 cm in length and weighing just 5 to 6.5 grams. Both sexes share distinctive field marks: a long, slightly decurved black bill, a white streak behind the eye, and a characteristic white "moustache" stripe. The forked tail is more deeply indented in males than females.

Males in breeding plumage are particularly striking, displaying bronzy-green upperparts crowned with an iridescent green cap. The gorget is a glittering violet with flared sides, while the underparts are greenish-black with a prominent white stripe running down the centre. The central tail feathers are black, with the remaining feathers dark blue-green. After breeding, males' throats molt to a grayish tone with black spotting. Females are subtler, with blackish-green throat feathers edged in white, a grayish chest and belly with a white central stripe, greenish flanks, and a green tail with steel-blue bands and white tips on the outer feathers.

Range & Habitat

This species is endemic to eastern Brazil, occurring from Pernambuco southward to São Paulo state. It has occasionally been recorded as a vagrant in Argentina's Iguazú National Park. The stripe-breasted starthroat inhabits both forest and savannah environments at elevations from sea level up to 800 metres.

Behaviour & Diet

The stripe-breasted starthroat is essentially sedentary, though it may occasionally wander to higher elevations than its usual range. It feeds primarily on nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants, typically foraging between 3 and 8 metres above ground. The species is territorial, particularly defending flower patches from others of its own species, though it shows less aggression toward other hummingbird species. Supplementing its nectar diet, it also captures small insects by hawking in flight.

Breeding typically occurs from February to April, though incubation has been recorded as early as November. Females construct small cup nests placed on horizontal tree branches 6 to 8 metres above ground, with some nests found at greater heights and at least one documented on a utility wire. The female incubates a clutch of two eggs for 14 to 16 days, with fledging occurring 21 to 24 days after hatching. The bird's vocalization is distinctive: its song is a "subdued, buzzy scratchy warble" described phonetically as "bzzzrrrr..bzzzrrr..chi-chi-chi-chi..bzrrr," while it also produces a liquid "tsik" call.

Best Time & Places to See It

The stripe-breasted starthroat is considered locally common throughout its Brazilian range and occurs in at least one Brazilian national park. The breeding season from February to April offers the best opportunity to observe males in their spectacular iridescent breeding plumage. The species' essentially sedentary nature makes it a reliable subject for patient observers within its eastern Brazilian range, particularly in forest and savannah habitats at lower elevations.

Photography Tips

Photographing this species requires attention to the male's brilliant breeding plumage, particularly the glittering violet gorget which requires proper angle and lighting to capture its iridescence. Since the birds typically forage between 3 and 8 metres above ground, a telephoto lens will be essential for capturing detailed shots from below. The white facial markings—the streak behind the eye and "moustache"—provide useful reference points for composition. Patient stakeouts at flowering patches during the breeding season will reward photographers with opportunities to capture males defending their territories and displaying their striking colours.