Amethyst-throated mountaingem

The amethyst-throated mountaingem (Lampornis amethystinus), also called amethyst-throated mountain-gem or amethyst-throated hummingbird, is a species of hummingbird in tribe Lampornithini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.

The amethyst-throated mountaingem has five subspecies:

The amethyst-throated mountaingem is 11.5 to 12.5 cm (4.5 to 4.9 in) long. Males weigh 5 to 7.8 g (0.18 to 0.28 oz) and females 5 to 5.8 g (0.18 to 0.20 oz). Both sexes of all subspecies have a medium-length straight black bill, dark auriculars, a whitish stripe behind the eye, and a broad slightly forked tail.

Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a dark green crown and back, a bronze rump, and blackish uppertail coverts. The tail is black with gray tips on the outer feathers. It has a brilliant rosy pink gorget. The breast and belly are dusky gray and the undertail coverts pale buff. The female is almost the same but has a cinnamon throat. Juveniles are similar to females but males may have a few pink feathers on the throat.

Subspecies L. a. circumventris and L. a. salvini are almost indistinguishable from the nominate. Males of L. a. nobilis have more bronzy green upperparts than the nominate, a purple rump, and purplish-black uppertail coverts. The gorget is reddish purple and the underparts dark smoke-gray. Females are also more bronzy above and darker below than the nominate, and have a duller and darker cinnamon throat.

Subspecies L. a. margaritae differs the most from the nominate. Both sexes are much darker overall and the male's gorget is violet to royal blue instead of the red to reddish purple of the other four subspecies. It possibly may be a separate species.

When compared to similar sister species, it appears the color differences between this and others was a relatively recent evolutionary occurrence.

The subspecies of amethyst-throated mountaingem are found thus: