Hummingbird #2 Gallery
Purple-throated Mountain Gem 5439
The female Purple-throated Mountain gem (Lampornis calolaemus), as is true in many hummingbirds, lacks the gaudy iridescence of her consort. She has green upper parts and cinnamon red underparts. This helps her to camouflage and raise her young undetected. Purple-throated Mountain gems breed during the rainy season. They often select a low branch near the edge of a clearing on which to build a cup shaped nest. Plant fibers, down and tree fern are held in place with spiderweb and decorated with lichen and moss. The female incubates two eggs for two to three weeks. The young fledge a month later.