Rare Beauty:
Blue-throated Hillstar The beautiful Blue-throated Hillstar was discovered in 2017, and officially described a year later. It's only found on a few mountains in southwestern Ecuador, particularly the Cerro de Arcos (“Hill of Arches”). At over 12,000 feet, the hillstar's windswept habitat, known as páramo, is a unique ecosystem of boggy grass and shrublands, studded with evergreen plants, mosses, and cacti. Like other high-elevation hummingbirds, such as the Rainbow-bearded Thornbill and Glittering Starfrontlet, the Blue-throated Hillstar manages to thrive in a cold, oxygen-reduced environment. How do these hummingbirds survive in such harsh conditions? | |
