Introduction
The Green-and-white Hummingbird, Elliotomyia viridicauda, is a small hummingbird endemic to Peru. It inhabits humid forest and forest-edge environments along the eastern slopes of the Andes. Older field guides and bird records may use the former name Amazilia viridicauda.
Physical Description
The Green-and-white Hummingbird is approximately 10–11 centimetres long. Adults have brilliant green to bronze-green upperparts, green flanks and mostly whitish underparts. The tail is greyish to greenish rather than tipped with conspicuous white, an important feature when separating it from the similar White-bellied Hummingbird.
The bill is medium-length and nearly straight, with a dark upper mandible and a reddish lower mandible that usually has a darker tip. The sexes are broadly similar. Females generally show a paler, more creamy throat with heavier spotting, while juveniles resemble females and may retain more extensive buff or cream colouring on the underparts.
Range and Habitat
This species is endemic to Peru. Its distribution is discontinuous along the eastern Andean slopes, extending from southern Huánuco through central and southern Peru to the Cusco region, including the Machu Picchu area.
It is associated with humid subtropical and montane environments, particularly mature forest edges, clearings, secondary forest and well-vegetated gardens near forest. Reported elevations generally range from about 1,000 to 2,750 metres above sea level, although local records vary. The species is regarded as resident, with possible local movements in response to flowering and habitat conditions rather than long-distance migration.
Where to See This Species
Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru
The humid forest, clearings and gardens around Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes are among the best-documented places to look for this Peruvian endemic. The species has been recorded within the sanctuary and in the surrounding cloud-forest valleys. Look for it around flowering plants along forest edges, trails and lightly disturbed vegetation.
Nearby accommodation: Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, offers hotels, guest houses, hostels and other visitor accommodation.
Ensifera Hummingbird Sanctuary, Cusco Region, Peru
This birding garden and hummingbird-viewing site in the Sacred Valley has recorded the Green-and-white Hummingbird. Its native flowering plants, forest-edge habitat and carefully managed viewing areas provide realistic opportunities for observation, particularly during morning activity periods.
Nearby accommodation: Urubamba and the wider Sacred Valley provide hotels, guest houses, lodges and self-catering accommodation.
Manu National Park and the Manu Road, Cusco and Madre de Dios, Peru
The forested eastern Andean slopes leading towards Manu include suitable humid montane and foothill habitat, and birding checklists from the Manu Road record the species. The most promising areas are forest edges, clearings and lower cloud-forest habitats rather than the lowland rainforest itself.
Nearby accommodation: Paucartambo, Pilcopata and recognised Manu gateway lodges provide guest houses, lodges, camps and other basic accommodation options.
Behaviour and Diet
The Green-and-white Hummingbird is active by day and uses rapid wingbeats to hover while feeding. It visits tubular and other nectar-bearing flowers, taking nectar with its specialised bill and extensible tongue. Small insects and spiders are also likely to form part of the diet, supplying protein and other nutrients that nectar cannot provide.
Individuals may defend productive flowers or feeding areas from other hummingbirds, although observations of territorial behaviour and social organisation remain limited. The species contributes to pollination as it moves between flowers in forest, secondary growth and garden habitats.
Detailed information about courtship, nesting and breeding success is limited. Nesting has been documented in the Cusco and Machu Picchu region, but the species’ breeding biology is not as well known as that of more widely studied hummingbirds.
Identification Tips
- Look for a small hummingbird with green upperparts, a white belly and green along the sides of the breast and abdomen.
- Check the tail carefully. The tail feathers are generally greyish or greenish and lack the obvious white pattern associated with the similar White-bellied Hummingbird.
- Note the nearly straight bill, dark upper mandible and reddish lower mandible with a darker tip.
- Forest edges, humid secondary growth and flowering gardens are often more productive than dense, closed-canopy forest.
- Older records may list the species as Amazilia viridicauda, so both names may appear in local checklists and birding reports.
Conservation Status
The Green-and-white Hummingbird is currently assessed as Least Concern. It is endemic to Peru and has a relatively restricted, discontinuous range, so the protection of eastern Andean forest remains important.
Deforestation, agricultural expansion, road development and the gradual loss of humid montane forest can reduce suitable habitat. Maintaining protected areas, conserving forest corridors and managing flowering gardens without excessive pesticide use can benefit this species and other Andean birds. The global population size and precise population trend are not sufficiently established for a reliable numerical estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Green-and-white Hummingbird found?
It is found only in Peru, mainly along the eastern slopes of the Andes from southern Huánuco to the Cusco region, including Machu Picchu.
What habitat does the Green-and-white Hummingbird prefer?
It favours humid montane forest edges, clearings, secondary forest and well-vegetated gardens, generally between about 1,000 and 2,750 metres above sea level.
How can this hummingbird be identified?
Look for green upperparts, white underparts, green flanks, a nearly straight bill and a mostly greyish-green tail without the prominent white tail pattern of the White-bellied Hummingbird.
Is the Green-and-white Hummingbird endemic to Peru?
Yes. Its entire known natural range lies within Peru.
What does the Green-and-white Hummingbird eat?
It feeds mainly on flower nectar and supplements this diet with small insects and spiders.
Is the Green-and-white Hummingbird endangered?
It is currently classified as Least Concern, although habitat loss and fragmentation in the eastern Andes remain conservation concerns.
References
- BirdLife International
- IOC World Bird List
- Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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