Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingi) - HBW 5, p. 659

French: Sylphe à queue d’azur German: Himmelssylphe Spanish: Silfo de King
Other common names: Green-tailed/Green-throated/Emma’s Sylph (emmae); Blue-throated Sylph (kingi)

Taxonomy: Trochilus kingi Lesson, 1832, Jamaica; error = Bogotá, Colombia.
Genus name formerly given as Cyanolesbia, but this is not applicable. Forms a superspecies with A.coelestis and A. berlepschi; both of these have sometimes been considered conspecific with present species, but notable differences in morphology and range, especially altitudinal, indicate that separate species status is more appropriate; evidence suggests hybridization very limited in areas of contact. Race emmae has also been considered a separate species, usually incorporating caudatus or mocoa, or both, as races. Forms described as “Chalcostigma purpureicauda” and “Zodalia thaumasta”, both known only from single specimens, are apparently hybrids of present species and Lesbia victoriae; “Neolesbia nehrkorni” is known from only two specimens and appears to be a hybrid of present species with Ramphomicron microrhynchum, or perhaps with Thalurania furcata or T. colombica. Six subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

margarethae (Heine, 1863) - NC and coastal Venezuela.
caudatus (Berlepsch, 1892) - W Venezuela and N Colombia.
emmae (Berlepsch, 1892) - C Andes of N Colombia to W Andes of S Colombia and NW Ecuador.

See all 6 subspecies

margarethae (Heine, 1863) - NC and coastal Venezuela.
caudatus (Berlepsch, 1892) - W Venezuela and N Colombia.
emmae (Berlepsch, 1892) - C Andes of N Colombia to W Andes of S Colombia and NW Ecuador.
kingi (Lesson, 1832) - E Andes of Colombia.
mocoa (DeLattre & Bourcier, 1846) - C Andes of S Colombia, Ecuador and N Peru.
smaragdinus (Gould, 1846) - E Andes of Peru and WC Bolivia.