Esmeraldas woodstar
| Esmeraldas woodstar | |
|---|---|
| Female Esmeraldas woodstar feeding on Kohleria spicata in Ayampe, Ecuador. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Strisores |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Genus: | Chaetocercus |
| Species: | C. berlepschi |
| Binomial name | |
| Chaetocercus berlepschi Simon, 1889 | |
| Range of the Esmeraldas woodstar | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Acestrura berlepschi (Simon, 1889) | |
The Esmeraldas woodstar (Chaetocercus berlepschi) is a rare, neotropical species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. There are six different species in the woodstar genus. Most of them are poorly studied due to their small size, extremely similar resemblance to each other, and rarity. Esmeraldas woodstars are one of the smallest bird species. They are sexually dimorphic. The main difference between sexes is that males have a bright purple throat. Esmeraldas woodstars are found only on the Pacific coast of west Ecuador in semi-deciduous to evergreen forests. They feed on the nectar of flowering shrubs and trees. The main threat to this species is deforestation. Esmeraldas woodstars are Vulnerable and require habitat protection.