Bronze-tailed thornbill

The bronze-tailed thornbill (Chalcostigma heteropogon) is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.^[3][4]

The taxonomy of genus Chalcostigma is unsettled. The South American Classification Committee (SACC) of the American Ornithological Society is considering a proposal to merge the genus into Oxypogon.^[5] The bronze-tailed thornbill is monotypic.^[3]

The bronze-tailed thornbill is 13 to 14 cm (5.1 to 5.5 in) long and weighs 5.9 to 6.3 g (0.21 to 0.22 oz). Both sexes have a short straight black bill. Adults are generally bottle green overall, with coppery red uppertail coverts and a forked olive green tail. Adult males have a narrow gorget that is emerald green under the chin and transitions to pink at the bottom. Adult females are similar but the gorget is paler green and does not have the pink "beard"; in addition their outer tail feathers have pale tips. Juveniles resemble adult females with the addition of a mahogany red crown.^[6]

The bronze-tailed thornbill is found from the Tamá Massif of extreme western Venezuela through the Eastern Andes of Colombia as far south as Cundinamarca Department. It inhabits steep rocky slopes within semi-arid to humid páramo grasslands and also the edges of Polylepis and other stunted woodland. In elevation it ranges between 3,000 and 3,900 m (9,800 and 12,800 ft).^[6]

صنّف الاتحاد الدولي لحفظ الطبيعة طائر أبو شوك ذو الذيل البرونزي ضمن الأنواع الأقل تهديدًا. ومع ذلك، فإن نطاق انتشاره محدود، وحجم جمهرته غير معروف ويُعتقد أنه في تناقص. ^{[ 1 ]} يتواجد هذا الطائر في بعض المناطق المحمية، و"يوفر ارتفاع المنطقة ومناخها القاسي بعض الحماية من تدخل الإنسان". إلا أن غابات طيور البوليبس متدهورة في معظم نطاق انتشاره. ^{[ 6 ]}