About Chalcostigma heteropogon (Boissonneau, 1840)
Taxonomy and Naming
The bronze-tailed thornbill, scientifically named Chalcostigma heteropogon (Boissonneau, 1840), measures 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).
Bill Morphology
Both sexes have a short, straight black bill.
Adult Plumage (General)
Overall, adult bronze-tailed thornbills are generally bottle green, with coppery red uppertail coverts and a forked olive green tail.
Adult Male Plumage
Adult males have a narrow gorget that is emerald green under the chin and transitions to pink at the bottom.
Adult Female Plumage
Adult females are similar to males, but their gorget is paler green and lacks the pink lower 'beard'; additionally, the outer tail feathers of females have pale tips.
Juvenile Plumage
Juveniles look similar to adult females, and also have a mahogany red crown.
Geographic Distribution
The bronze-tailed thornbill is distributed from the Tamá Massif of extreme western Venezuela, through the Eastern Andes of Colombia, and extends south as far as Cundinamarca Department.
Habitat
It lives on steep rocky slopes within semi-arid to humid páramo grasslands, and also occurs at the edges of Polylepis and other stunted woodlands.
Elevational Range
Its elevational range is between 3,000 and 3,900 m (9,800 and 12,800 ft).
