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Green-fronted Lancebill

A species of Lancebills
Scientific name : Doryfera ludovicae Genus : Lancebills

Green-fronted Lancebill, A species of Lancebills
Botanical name: Doryfera ludovicae
Genus: Lancebills
Green-fronted Lancebill (Doryfera ludovicae) Photo By Ashley M Bradford , used under CC-BY-NC /Cropped and compressed from original

Description

The green-fronted lancebill, as the name suggests, is distinguished by a “glittering” green patch of feathers on their forehead. Between males and females, males consistently have a prominent forehead patch, however, literature is inconsistent on the appearance of females. One notable source claims females can vary widely between individuals, stating the female forehead with regards to both feather development and color intensity, can range from barely visible to indistinguishable from common male plumage. Body plumage is uniform regardless of sex with both males and females having a drab grey-green breast and belly. A coppery patch extends from the nape and down along the sides of the neck. This meets a rich green that occupies much of the crown except for the eponymous green forehead patch. Much of the back and dorsal face of the tail are a similar rich green as the green with an iridescence creating a situational alternation between green, teal, and turquoise. The last feature that distinguishes the green-fronted lancebill is its eponymous bill. The bill is exceptionally long for any hummingbird (ranging from 29mm to 36.5mm with variation primarily attributed to regional populations) and is the inspiration for the genus name Doryfera translating roughly to "spear bearer". In physical dimension, a size difference between male and females has not been identified with regards to body length and beak proportions.
Size
13 cm
Feeding Habits
Green-fronted Lancebill primarily feeds on nectar from flowers and supplements its diet with small insects such as mayflies and arthropods. It employs hover-feeding to access flower nectar, a behavior typical of hummingbirds. Its specialized long bill facilitates feeding from elongated flowers, reflecting a unique dietary adaptation.
Habitat
The green-fronted Lancebill generally inhabits the mid-strata and lower canopy of wet, epiphyte-laden cloudforests and humid forests situated in broken terrain. Males are typically found along ridges, while females have a preference for ravines and gorges, especially for nesting purposes. This species also occupies forest edges and tall second growth, occasionally venturing down to shrub height. Their elevation range is quite broad, typically from 750 to 2300 meters, but can vary across different geographical regions in the Americas.
Dite type
Nectivorous

General Info

Distribution Area

It has a disjunct distribution : Talamancan montane forests, the Serranía del Darién and the northern Andes. It is not considered migratory. This species and its sister species Doryfera johannae are found in highly developed forest locations adjacent to fast-moving streams. It is theorized that the specific needs of the species cause it to concentrate around ideal sites rather than be dispersed evenly around forested mountainsides.

Species Status

Conservation directed towards this species is minimal as well as research around it and similar species, Doryfera johannae the blue-fronted lancebill. However the green-fronted lancebill is classified by the IUCN as “least concern” due to its broad range and assumption of stable populations over 10,000 mature individuals.
Green-fronted Lancebill (Doryfera ludovicae) Green-fronted Lancebill (Doryfera ludovicae) Photo By Ashley M Bradford , used under CC-BY-NC /Cropped and compressed from original
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