Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Bumblebee Hummingbird (Atthis heloisa) - HBW 5, p. 673
French: Colibri héloïse
German: Rosenkehlelfe
Spanish: Colibrí de Eloísa
Other common names: Heloise’s/Morcom’s Hummingbird
Taxonomy: Ornismya Heloisa Lesson and DeLattre, 1839, Jalapa and Coatepec, Veracruz.
Genus probably closely related to Selasphorus, and sometimes merged into it. Forms a superspecies with A. ellioti, with which has been considered conspecific; however, they differ in courtship behaviour, song structure, wing morphology, and coloration, and thus merit treatment as separate species. Proposed race morcomi, known by two old specimens from SE Arizona, is synonym of nominate; presumably based on vagrants, or mislabelled specimens. Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- margarethae R. T. Moore, 1937 - highlands of NW & W Mexico (SE Sinaloa and SW Chihuahua to Jalisco).
- heloisa (Lesson & DeLattre, 1839) - highlands of NE, C & S Mexico (C Tamaulipas to Guerrero and Oaxaca).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A male stretching wings, spreading tail, and singing Locality Valle Nacional, Oaxaca State, Mexico (Southern) (ssp heliosa)
Michael Retter 1 February 2008 2 years ago 11 sec 3.7
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singing male
Locality Valle Nacional, Oaxaca State, Mexico (Southern) (ssp heliosa)
Michael Retter 1 February 2008 2 years ago 4 -
Bumblebee Hummingbird on her nest, may be a first.
Locality Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco State, Mexico (Northern)
paulhart 6 March 2012 11 weeks ago 3.7 -
Female Bumblebee Hummingbird posing by the roadside.
Locality Las Joyas Research Station, Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco State, Mexico (Northern)
paulhart 6 March 2012 10 weeks ago 3.5 -
A dorsal view of an adult female in the hand. Maybe the second smallest hummingbird in the world. Endemic to west Mexico.
Locality Las Joyas Research Station, Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco State, Mexico (Northern) (ssp margarethae)
Evaristo Hernandez F. 16 January 2009 1 year ago 3 -
Female on its nest. Apparently this is the first photo of this Mexican endemic species on its nest.
Locality Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco State, Mexico (Northern)
Hector Ceballos-Lascurain 4 March 2012 11 weeks ago 2.3
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Song from a perched male. Locality Oaxaca State, Mexico (Southern)
(ssp heloisa)
Nick Athanas 21 March 2009 2 years ago 3
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