Long-tailed Sylph

The Long-tailed Sylph is one of the most elegant hummingbirds of the Andes, named for the male's extraordinarily long, deeply forked tail, which shimmers with iridescent blue-green and can be nearly triple the length of the bird's body. The male's crown glows violet-blue, the throat is emerald green, and the body is a rich green, making for a dazzling combination when caught in sunlight.

Females lack the long tail, instead having a much shorter, notched tail, and are duller green above with buffy or cinnamon underparts. Despite the male's cumbersome-looking tail, the species is an agile flier, threading through dense vegetation at forest edges and along shrubby ravines in search of flowers.

Key field marks

• Males: extremely long, deeply forked, iridescent blue-green tail; violet-blue crown; green throat and body
• Females: much shorter notched tail, green upperparts, buffy-cinnamon underparts
• Medium-length, slightly downcurved black bill
• Male's tail alone can exceed the length of the rest of the bird

Similar species

• Violet-tailed Sylph is similar but has a more violet-blue tail rather than blue-green, and occurs primarily on the Pacific slope of Colombia and Ecuador with limited overlap.
• Female sylphs can resemble other small green hummingbirds but the notched (not simply rounded) tail shape is a useful clue.

Habitat

Inhabits montane forest edge, cloud forest borders, shrubby ravines, and adjacent secondary growth.

Range

Found along the Andes from Venezuela and Colombia south through Ecuador to Peru and Bolivia, typically between about 1,500 and 3,000 m elevation.

Migration

Mostly resident, with some local altitudinal movement tied to flowering seasons.

Behavior

Agile and active despite the male's long tail, frequently seen darting along forest edges and hovering at flowers, with the tail streaming behind or occasionally cocked upward.

Voice

A series of thin, high-pitched squeaky notes and chattering calls, typical of many Andean hummingbirds.

Feeding

Feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering shrubs and epiphytes, and catches small insects in brief sallies.

Nesting

Builds a small cup nest of moss and plant down; the female alone incubates the typical clutch of 2 white eggs.