Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Green-tailed Goldenthroat
Polytmus theresiae
Green-tailed Goldenthroat (Polytmus theresiae) — Hummingbirds of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Green-tailed Goldenthroat (Polytmus theresiae) is a member of the Trochilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 3.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Trochilidae Hummingbirds
- Genus Polytmus
- Species theresiae
Quick facts
- Weight
- 3.8 g
- Diet
- Nectar-feeders
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Green-tailed Goldenthroat is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Green-tailed Goldenthroat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Green-tailed Goldenthroat (Polytmus theresiae) is a species of bird in the Trochilidae family, part of the order Apodiformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA ne, w Amazonia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 3.8 g, with a wing length of about 5.7 cm and a tail of around 3.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Green-tailed Goldenthroat?
The Green-tailed Goldenthroat is a very small bird that weighs around 3.8 g.
Where does the Green-tailed Goldenthroat live?
The Green-tailed Goldenthroat is found across South America with a range covering SA ne, w Amazonia, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Green-tailed Goldenthroat belong to?
The Green-tailed Goldenthroat (Polytmus theresiae) belongs to the Trochilidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Green-tailed Goldenthroat eat?
The Green-tailed Goldenthroat is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Does the Green-tailed Goldenthroat migrate?
The Green-tailed Goldenthroat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Green-tailed Goldenthroat endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Green-tailed Goldenthroat make?
1 real field recording of the Green-tailed Goldenthroat — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Green-tailed Goldenthroat's range?
The Green-tailed Goldenthroat has a mapped global range of about 1.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Hummingbird Feeders
How to choose a hummingbird feeder — the two main styles compared, the right sugar-water mix, and how to keep it clean so the birds stay safe. A decision framework with the hummingbird species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Trochilidae
A field guide to the Trochilidae family — 366 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.