Glow-throated Hummingbird Selasphorus ardens Scientific name definitions

Unfortunately, little information exists on this small Panamanian endemic. Classified as vulnerable due to its limited range, the Glow-throated Hummingbird is restricted to west central Panama and has been cited at only a few locations including the Serranía de Tabasará and potentially in the highlands of the Península de Azuero. During the 20th century, this species was only recorded in two areas: Cerro Colorado/Cerro Flores and Santa Fé/Cerro Tute. Although not officially documented, forest fragmentation in Serranía de Tabasará and elsewhere is suspected to be contributing to a decline in the population.

Little information about the bird’s basic biology exists other than it inhabits forest borders and clearings between 750-1800 meters. Males are bronze and green with a pinkish-red gorget bordered by a white collar on the front of the neck. Both sexes could possibly be confused with the Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus sctintilla) but the Glow-throated exhibits a mostly black tail where the Scintillant Hummingbird’s is rufous with some black striping. The female Glow-throated is brighter below and has less rufous edging on the tail than does the Scintillant. Both sexes have short, black bills.

Mountains of WC Panama (Ngöbe-Buglé and Veraguas).

No information.

ENDANGERED. CITES II. Restricted-range species: present in Costa Rica and Panama Highlands EBA. Very poorly known, with no information on basic biology. Found in a handful of localities in Serranía de Tabasará, with 20th century records from only two areas: Cerro Colorado/Cerro Flores in E Chiriquí and Santa Fé/Cerro Tute in Veraguas, the first of which is unprotected. In Mar 1994 a hitherto unknown population thought to refer to this species was discovered in Cerro Hoya National Park, S Azuero Peninsula; however, a purported specimen has been lost, and sight records are unsatisfactory; until specimens can be obtained, records are best considered hypothetical (1 Miller, M.J., Angehr, G.R., Ridgely, R.S., Klicka, J., López C., O.G., Arauz, J., Campos C., E. and Buitrago-Rosas, D. (2015). Annotated checklist of the birds (Aves) of Cerro Hoya National Park, Azuero Peninsula, Panamá. Check List. 11(2): 1585. Close ). At best uncommon; global population estimated to be fewer than 1000 mature individuals BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Selasphorus ardens. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/09/2016. . Part of known (or suspected) distribution of species is inaccessible and apparently largely undisturbed. However, Serranía de Tabasará generally threatened by subsistence agriculture, clearance for coffee plantations, cattle-grazing, pesticide contamination and burning. Deforestation continues apace in core of species’ range on Cerro Santiago, with forest in E Chiriquí increasingly fragmented BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Selasphorus ardens. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/09/2016. . Panama Audubon Society is working with indigenous communities in Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca to achieve some degree of protection for remaining forests of Cerro Santiago region BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Selasphorus ardens. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/09/2016. . Protected by 723 km² Santa Fé National Park, but the area lacks sufficient staff and adequate resources BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Selasphorus ardens. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/09/2016. . Ecological requirements must be determined to accurately assess the species’ conservation status and design conservation action. Previously considered Vulnerable, it was uplisted to Endangered in 2013.