Introduction
The Blue-tufted Starthroat (Heliomaster furcifer) is a medium-sized hummingbird of South America. It is best known for the male’s iridescent throat and elongated blue feathers on the sides of the neck. The species occurs mainly in open and semi-open habitats, including savannas, cerrado, grasslands, woodland edges and gallery forests.
Physical Description
The Blue-tufted Starthroat measures approximately 12.6 centimetres in length. It has a long, slightly decurved black bill and a small white spot behind the eye. Both sexes have a forked tail, although the fork is generally deeper in the male.
Breeding-plumaged males have a green crown, nape and upper back, contrasting with bronzy or coppery-green upperparts. The throat is glittering violet to reddish-violet, while elongated feathers on the sides of the neck show vivid blue or blue-green iridescence. The underparts are largely pale, and the tail is dark green to blue-green with contrasting markings on the outer feathers.
Females are less brightly coloured. They have greenish or coppery-green upperparts, a greyish throat and underparts, a pale central belly and green markings on the flanks. Males outside the breeding period may lose much of the bright throat colour and become more similar to females. This seasonal change is an important source of variation in the field.
Range and Habitat
The species is distributed across a broad area of South America. Its principal range extends from eastern Bolivia through Paraguay, southern and central Brazil, northern Argentina and Uruguay. Records from other parts of the continent are less typical and may represent dispersal, vagrancy or occasional movements beyond the core range.
Blue-tufted Starthroats favour sunny, semi-open environments rather than dense forest. Typical habitats include cerrado, savannas, grasslands with scattered trees, open woodland, gallery forest, forest edges, shrubland and some lightly modified agricultural areas. They often occur where flowering vines, shrubs or trees provide abundant nectar.
The species is not uniformly present throughout its range. Seasonal movements are documented, particularly in Brazil, where birds may move towards areas with suitable flowering resources during the dry season. The extent and regularity of these movements vary between regions and are not fully understood.
Where to See This Species
El Palmar National Park, Entre Ríos, Argentina
The species is included in the documented bird inventory for El Palmar National Park, and recent records have also been made within the park. Open woodland, yatay palm savanna, scrub and forest edges provide suitable foraging habitat. Look around flowering vegetation and woodland margins, particularly during periods of local hummingbird activity.
Nearby accommodation: Ubajay is the nearest practical gateway, with campsites and small-scale accommodation. Colón and Villa Elisa offer a wider range of hotels, cabins and self-catering accommodation.
Chaco National Park, Chaco, Argentina
Blue-tufted Starthroat is recorded in the biodiversity information for Chaco National Park. The park’s Chaco woodland, savanna, palm areas, lagoons and forest edges provide suitable habitat for a species that favours semi-open landscapes. Birding is most productive along accessible trails, woodland margins and flowering plants, although sightings are not guaranteed.
Nearby accommodation: Capitán Solari is the nearest settlement and provides simple visitor infrastructure, including camping. Additional accommodation is available in nearby Colonia Elisa, Colonias Unidas or Resistencia.
Copo National Park, Santiago del Estero, Argentina
The species is documented for Copo National Park, an important protected area in the dry Chaco. Its thorn woodland, open patches and flowering shrubs offer suitable habitat, especially around tracks, clearings and other naturally open areas. The park is remote, so visits require careful planning and attention to access conditions.
Nearby accommodation: Pampa de los Guanacos is the nearest practical town, with simple hotel and guest-house accommodation. The park also has basic camping areas for visitors who are properly equipped.
Behaviour and Diet
The Blue-tufted Starthroat is active by day and feeds mainly on nectar from a variety of flowering plants. It often forages several metres above the ground in shrubs, vines and small trees. In southeastern Brazil, it has been recorded visiting flowering Pyrostegia venusta, while in the southern part of its range it is associated with flowering vines such as Dolichandra cynanchoides.
Like other hummingbirds, it can hover while feeding and may also take small insects in flight. Insects and other small arthropods provide an important source of protein, especially during the breeding season.
Males may defend productive flower patches from other hummingbirds and conspecifics. Seasonal movements appear to be influenced partly by the availability of flowering plants. In some areas, birds are more likely to be encountered during the dry season, while breeding activity is mainly reported from November to March in the core range.
The female builds the small cup-shaped nest and is responsible for incubation and care of the young. Reported nests are placed in vegetation several metres above the ground and may be decorated externally with lichen or other plant material. Clutches are generally reported to contain two eggs, but breeding information remains incomplete across much of the species’ range.
Identification Tips
- Look for a relatively large, slim hummingbird with a long black bill and a distinctly forked tail.
- A breeding male shows a brilliant violet or reddish-violet throat and elongated blue feathers on the sides of the neck.
- The green crown and bronzy-green upperparts contrast with the pale underparts.
- Non-breeding males may appear much duller, with greyish underparts and reduced throat colour.
- Females are more subdued, with a grey throat, pale belly and greenish markings on the flanks.
- In open habitats, the combination of a long bill, forked tail, pale underparts and blue neck tufts is especially useful for separating it from smaller, shorter-billed hummingbirds.
Conservation Status
The Blue-tufted Starthroat is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Its broad distribution and occurrence in protected areas reduce the likelihood of an immediate global extinction risk, although the total population has not been reliably quantified.
Habitat loss, woodland clearance, agricultural expansion and the degradation of flowering plants may affect local populations. Because the species depends on nectar resources and uses semi-open habitats, changes in land management can alter its feeding and breeding opportunities. Protecting native woodland, savanna, cerrado, gallery forest and flowering plants is important for maintaining populations across its range.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Blue-tufted Starthroat live?
It occurs mainly in eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, southern and central Brazil, northern Argentina and Uruguay. It favours savannas, cerrado, open woodland, grassland, scrub and forest edges.
How can the Blue-tufted Starthroat be identified?
The species has a long black bill, a forked tail and pale underparts. Breeding males are particularly distinctive because of their glittering throat and elongated blue feathers on the sides of the neck.
What does the Blue-tufted Starthroat eat?
It feeds mainly on nectar from flowering plants and supplements this diet with small insects and other arthropods, including insects caught in flight.
Is the Blue-tufted Starthroat migratory?
Seasonal movements are documented in parts of its range, especially in Brazil, where birds may follow flowering resources. However, movement patterns vary between regions and are not fully understood.
Is the Blue-tufted Starthroat endangered?
No. The species is currently assessed as Least Concern, although habitat destruction and changes in land use may cause local declines and should be monitored.
References
- BirdLife International
- Sistema de Información de Biodiversidad, Administración de Parques Nacionales, Argentina
- Mazzoni and Perillo, The wintering distribution of the Blue-tufted Starthroat Heliomaster furcifer in Minas Gerais, and its association with Pyrostegia venusta
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