About Threnetes ruckeri (Bourcier, 1847)
The band-tailed barbthroat, Threnetes ruckeri, measures 10 to 11 cm (3.9 to 4.3 in) in total length. Males weigh 5.5 to 7 g (0.19 to 0.25 oz) and females weigh 5 to 7 g (0.18 to 0.25 oz). The adult male of the nominate subspecies T. r. ruckeri has bronze-green upperparts, a dark ear patch, a dark chin, and a dusky malar stripe. Its tail is dark, with white bases and tips to the feathers that create a black band near the end of the tail. This subspecies has an ochraceous throat, gray underparts with scattered green feathers, and a nearly straight bill. Like other hermit hummingbirds, male and female band-tailed barbthroats have similar plumage. Females differ from males by having a somewhat more decurved bill, and less plumage contrast between the throat, breast, and belly. Young birds look similar to adults, but have ochraceous edges on their feathers. The subspecies T. r. venezuelensis has a somewhat larger ochraceous throat patch than the nominate subspecies. The subspecies T. r. ventosus has a much larger, bright orange throat patch, and an ochraceous tinge to its belly. Three subspecies of band-tailed barbthroat have distinct geographic ranges. T. r. ventosus, the northernmost subspecies, occurs from eastern Guatemala and Belize, through Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, into Panama. The nominate T. r. ruckeri ranges from northern and western Colombia south through western Ecuador almost to Peru. T. r. venezuelensis occurs in northwestern Venezuela. The species inhabits the understory and edges of primary forest and old second growth, as well as semi-open shrublands, thickets, and plantations. Its elevational range extends from sea level up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft).
