Amazilia Hummingbird

The amazilia hummingbird (Amazilis amazilia) is a hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Amazilis. The amazilia hummingbird occurs in western Peru and south-western Ecuador. It is generally common, and can regularly be seen even in major cities such as Lima and Guayaquil. It prefers dry, open or semi-open habitats, but also occurs in forest. In its range it is easily recognized by the combination of a black-tipped red bill and mainly rufous underparts. It is a territorial species. Its diet consists of small insects and nectar of flowering Erythrina, Psittacanthus, and other flower corollas of medium length. It can spend roughly 80% of its time resting, using the rest of its time to forage, hunt, and defend its territory (often against Coereba flaveola). It breeds year round with cup like nests only ~3cm above the ground. The amazilia hummingbird was formerly placed in the genus Amazilia. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that the genus Amazilia was polyphyletic. In the revised classification to create monophyletic genera, the amazilia hummingbird was moved to the resurrected genus Amazilis that had been introduced in 1855 by George Gray. Some ornithologists have proposed that the subspecies Amazilis amazilia alticola, the Loja hummingbird, should be treated as a separate species.