Topaz (hummingbird)

Topaz
Crimson topaz (Topaza pella)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Topaza
G.R. Gray, 1840
Species

2, see text

This article is about hummingbirds from the genus Topaza. For the ruby topaz, see ruby-topaz hummingbird.

The topazes are two species of hummingbirds in the genus Topaza. They are found in humid forests in the Amazon Basin. Males are by far the largest hummingbirds in their range – the giant hummingbird of the Andes is the only larger species in the family. Males have a total length of about 22 cm (8 34 in), although this includes their elongated rectrices. They are very colourful, being mainly strongly iridescent golden and crimson with a black hood and a green throat. Females lack the elongated rectrices and have a mainly green plumage.

Species

The lineage commonly referred to as Topazes entails two distinct genera, Topaza and Florisuga which split approximately 18 million years ago.

The genus Topaza contains two separate species, the Crimson topaz and the Fiery topaz. It has been suggested that the fiery topaz should be considered a subspecies of the crimson topaz, but today all major authorities consider them as separate species.

The genus Florisuga encompasses the two species, the White-necked jacobin and the Black jacobin.

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 2/24/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.