Birds Active during the day

Blue-throated Goldentail

Chlorestes eliciae

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

With its shimmering violet throat and a tail that glows like a freshly minted coin, the Blue-throated Goldentail is a crown jewel of the Central American lowlands. This spirited hummingbird brings a splash of metallic brilliance to any tropical backyard or forest edge.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length: 8.5–9 cm (3.3–3.5 in); Wingspan: approx 11-12 cm (4.3-4.7 in); Weight: 3–4 g (0.1–0.14 oz)

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Colors

Metallic green upperparts with a glittering violet-blue throat. The tail is a striking metallic golden-bronze or coppery-orange. The bill is bright red with a distinct black tip.

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Key Features

Glittering violet-blue throat bib
Shimmering coppery-gold tail feathers
Bright red bill with a small black tip
Green crown and metallic upperparts

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 6-9 AM, 3-5 PM

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Season Year-round

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Diet Primarily nectar from tubular flowers (such as Heliconia and Inga); also consumes small insects and spiders caught mid-air or gleaned from foliage.

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Habitat Humid lowland forests, second-growth woodlands, shaded coffee plantations, and lush suburban gardens.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Blue-throated Goldentail Live?

This stunning hummingbird is native to the tropical reaches of Central America and the very northern edge of South America. Its core range extends from southern Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, reaching its southernmost limit in northwestern Colombia. It is primarily a lowland species, found on both the Caribbean and Pacific slopes in regions where dense tropical forests meet coastal plains.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

9 Countries

1.2M km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

CR Costa Rica PA Panama NI Nicaragua HN Honduras GT Guatemala BZ Belize MX Mexico CO Colombia SV El Salvador

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

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Behavior

The Blue-throated Goldentail is a spirited and territorial hummingbird common in the humid lowlands of Central America. While it often dwells in the forest canopy, it is a frequent visitor to forest edges and garden clearings where nectar is abundant. These birds are known for their 'pugnacious' nature, often aggressively defending a high-quality patch of flowers or a feeder from other hummingbirds, regardless of size.

During the breeding season, males are known to form small leks—groups where they gather to sing and attract females. Their song is a series of thin, high-pitched metallic notes delivered from a low, shaded perch. Unlike many North American hummingbirds that undergo long migrations, the Blue-throated Goldentail is largely a resident, though it may move locally to follow the peak blooming cycles of various tropical plants.

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Camera Tips

To capture the Blue-throated Goldentail on camera, positioning is everything. Place your bird camera near red or orange tubular flowers, such as Heliconia, Hibiscus, or Shrimp Plants, which are their natural favorites. Aim the lens at a height of 3 to 5 feet off the ground, as this species often forages in the mid-story and shrub layer. Ensure the camera is angled so the sun is behind the lens; this is crucial for capturing the iridescent gold of the tail and the blue of the throat, which can look dull or black in shadows.

Using a high-quality nectar feeder can also lure them in, especially if the feeder includes perches. Blue-throated Goldentails often prefer to sit while drinking rather than hovering constantly. Set your camera’s trigger speed to the fastest possible setting—ideally under 0.1 seconds—to catch their rapid movements. If your camera allows for video, a high frame rate (60fps or higher) is recommended to slow down their wing beats during playback for a truly cinematic look.

Because they are most active during the cooler parts of the day, focus your monitoring between dawn and 9:00 AM. In backyards, they are more likely to visit if there is a water feature nearby, like a misting fountain or a shallow birdbath. They love to fly through fine mists to bathe and preen. If you are using a trail camera in a more wooded area, look for 'lekking' sites where males gather to sing; these are often low branches about 1-2 meters high in shaded undergrowth near forest gaps.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Blue-throated Goldentail.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

The Rufous-tailed has a duller, reddish-brown tail without the metallic gold sheen and lacks the brilliant violet-blue throat patch.

Blue-headed Sapphire

This species has a much more extensive blue coloring covering the entire head, rather than just the throat and upper breast.

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Frequently Asked Questions

They are most active in the early morning shortly after sunrise and again in the late afternoon. They use these times to refuel their high-energy bodies when nectar production is often at its peak.

Planting native nectar-rich flowers like Heliconia, Stachytarpheta, or Hibiscus is the best method. They also frequent clean nectar feeders with a 4:1 water-to-sugar ratio and are highly attracted to water misters for bathing.

Their diet is a mix of high-energy floral nectar and protein-rich small insects. They often 'hawk' for gnats and flies in the air or pick spiders directly from their webs.

Yes, they are quite adaptable. While they prefer forest edges, they are frequently seen in suburban gardens and shaded plantations, provided there is enough canopy cover and a steady supply of flowers.

Look at the tail and the bill. The Goldentail has a shimmering metallic coppery-gold tail and a bright red bill with a black tip, whereas the Rufous-tailed has a duller reddish-brown tail and a bill that is more extensively red.

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