Blue-capped Hummingbird, Eupherusa cyanophrys
Blue-capped Hummingbird, Eupherusa cyanophrys, Male. Photograph taken within the greater Pluma Hidalgo area, Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, April 2022. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos.
Blue-capped Hummingbird, Eupherusa cyanophrys, Female. Photograph taken within the greater Pluma Hidalgo area, Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca, April 2022. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos.
Background and Identification
The Blue-capped Hummingbird is a member of the Trochilidae family, that is composed of three hundred and sixty-six species and one hundred thirteen genera. This species is known for its vibrant colors and rapid flight patterns, like most hummingbird species. In Mexico, this species is called Colibrí Miahuatleco and Colibri Oaxaqueño.
The Blue-capped hummingbird is a sexually dichromatic species, but males and females are similar in size. Both sexes measure approximately 10 cm (3.9 inches) in length and 3 g (0.11 oz) in weight. They are sexually dimorphic with the male Blue-capped is characterized by its iridescent blue cap, green-colored back, and white underparts. The female being less colorful, with a more subdued greenish cap and paler underparts. Both sexes have a straight, slender bill adapted for nectar feeding, and their wings beat rapidly, allowing them to hover with ease.
Habitat and Geographical Range
Blue-capped Hummingbirds inhabit subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, preferring areas with dense vegetation and abundant flowering plants. They are often found in forest edges, clearings, and along streams where flowers are plentiful. These birds are typically found at elevations ranging from 1,000 m (3,280 feet) to 2,500 meters (8,200 feet).
Geographically, the Blue-capped Hummingbird is ENDEMIC to Mexico. They live solely in the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur in Oaxaca, Mexico, and prefer humid evergreen forests and shade-coffee plantations in this region.
Common Misidentifications
Blue-capped Hummingbirds are extremely similar to White-tailed Hummingbirds, Eupherusa poliocerca. Females of the two species are nearly identical and extremely difficult to distinguish. Male Blue-capped hummingbirds differ from male White-tailed Humminbirds by their blue crown. Another species that may be hard to distinguish from the Blue-capped is the Berylline Hummingbird, Amazilia beryllina, specifically the males of each respective species. The Berylline Hummingbird is primarily green with a rufous tail, which contrasts with the blue cap and green back of the Blue-capped Hummingbird.
Conservation Status
From a conservation perspective the Blue-capped Hummingbird is currently considered to be Endangered attributed primarily to its small geographical range. The species very vulnerable to human settlements and the expansion of urban areas. Deforestation for agriculture, logging, and urban development reduces the availability of suitable habitats, impacting their numbers.