Mountaingem

Mountaingem

L. clemenciae
L. amethystinus
L. viridipallens
L. sybillae
L. calolaema
L. castaneoventris
(see article text for discussion)

The mountain-gems are the Lampornis genus of hummingbirds which inhabit mountainous regions from the southwestern United States to the Isthmus of Panama.

These are medium-sized to large (10–13 cm) hummingbirds with shortish slightly curved black bills. The males typically have green upperparts and a brightly coloured throat, which is a dull colour in the female. The females of some species also may differ significantly from the males in other plumage features.

The female mountain-gem is entirely responsible for nest building and incubation. She lays two white eggs in a deep plant-fibre cup nest. Incubation takes 15–19 days, and fledging another 20-26.

The food of this genus is nectar, taken from a variety of small flowers. Like other hummingbirds, mountain-gems also takes small insects as an essential source of protein.