About Chalybura urochrysia (Gould, 1861)
The bronze-tailed plumeleteer has the scientific name Chalybura urochrysia (Gould, 1861). Individuals of this species measure 10.5 to 12 cm (4.1 to 4.7 in) in length. Males weigh approximately 7.1 g (0.25 oz), while females weigh about 6.1 g (0.22 oz). For all subspecies and both sexes, the maxilla and the tip of the mandible are black; the remaining portion of the mandible ranges from dull pink to dark red. Males of the nominate subspecies have metallic green upperparts, glittering green underparts, long fluffy white undertail coverts, and bronze-green tails. Nominate females also have metallic green upperparts, but have gray underparts with green flecks on the sides, grayish white undertail coverts, and outer tail feathers tipped with gray. Immature birds look similar to adults, but have buffy to cinnamon fringing on the feathers of their crown, nape, and rump. Males of the subspecies C. u. melanorrhoa have darker green upperparts than the nominate subspecies, along with purplish bronze uppertail coverts. Their underparts are darker, with a dusky bronze belly and shorter, sooty blackish undertail coverts, and their tail is purplish black. C. u. melanorrhoa females are darker gray below than nominate females and have more green flecking. Males of subspecies C. u. isaurae have a blue throat and breast, a bluish green belly, and a brighter bronze tail than the nominate subspecies. C. u. isaurae females have pale gray underparts with little or no green flecking. Three subspecies of bronze-tailed plumeleteer have distinct distributions. C. u. melanorrhoa is the northernmost subspecies, found from eastern Nicaragua into Costa Rica, with a small number of records from eastern Honduras. C. u. isaurae occurs on the Caribbean slope and locally on the Pacific slope of Panama, extending into extreme northwestern Colombia. The nominate subspecies ranges from eastern Panama's Darién Province through north-central and western Colombia into northwestern Ecuador. The bronze-tailed plumeleteer inhabits the interior and edges of humid forest, mature secondary forest, and semi-open landscapes including banana plantations and gardens. It avoids open areas. In terms of elevation range, it occurs from sea level up to 700 m (2,300 ft) in Costa Rica, and up to 900 m (3,000 ft) in Colombia. Note: the map referenced includes the southwestern Ecuador range of the intermedia subspecies of white-vented plumeleteer.
