About Tilmatura dupontii (R.Lesson, 1832)
The sparkling-tailed woodstar has the scientific name Tilmatura dupontii (R.Lesson, 1832). Males are 8.2 to 10.1 cm (3.2 to 4.0 in) long, while females are 5.8 to 7.5 cm (2.3 to 3.0 in) long. The average weight of twelve examined specimens is 2.23 g (0.079 oz). Both sexes share a long, straight, black bill and a large white patch on each side of the rump. Males have metallic green upperparts, a grayish white breast, and dark metallic bronze green belly and flanks. Their gorget is metallic violet blue. The central two pairs of their tail feathers are metallic bronze green. The outer three pairs are about four times as long as the inner pairs, creating a deeply forked tail. These outer feathers are purplish black with white tips, and the outermost two pairs also have a chestnut band and a white band. Females have metallic bronze or bronze green upperparts and cinnamon underparts, which are darker on the flanks and lower belly. Their tail is only slightly forked. The central two pairs of female tail feathers are metallic bronze green with black tips. The outer three pairs have bronze green bases, a wide black band near the tip, and pale cinnamon or white tips. The sparkling-tailed woodstar is distributed discontinuously from Mexico, where it occurs from Sinaloa in the west and Veracruz in the east, through Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, and into northern Nicaragua. It inhabits semi-open landscapes including pine-oak forest edges, bushy secondary forest, and scrubby woods. It generally occurs at elevations ranging from 750 to 2,500 m (2,500 to 8,200 ft), though it can be found locally or seasonally almost down to sea level.
