#topaza

[herpsandbirds]

Fiery Topaz (Topaza pyra), males, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, found in NW South America

photographs by Javier Arnaz & Hector Bottai

[wonder-rooms]

Crimson Topaz Hummingbird, Cyclamen, Red Postman and shells from the Natural History Cabinet of Anna Blackburne (1768) - James Bolton

[herpsandbirds]

Fiery Topaz (Topaza pyra), male, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, Manacapuru, Brazil

photograph by Kátia Oliveira

[herpsandbirds]

Fiery Topaz (Topaza pyra) male, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, Manacapuru, Brazil

photograph by Kátia Oliveira | Birdwatching

[herpsandbirds]

Hi there! An odd sort of question, but is there some unspoken convention on bestowing colorful monikers upon hummingbird species?

For example, those broad categories of Sunangels, Visorbearers, Coquettes, and others... my favorite among them is the Marvelous Spatuletail. They all seem to have had special attention when being identified, and I thought perhaps there was some logic, if not tradition, behind the naming.

Thank you for any insight, and thank you for curating this beautiful blog!

Hummingbird Names:

Yes, there really is a convention of giving hummingbirds ridiculously colorful and creative names...

Ruby Topaz, Tourmaline Sun-angel, Tufted Coquette, etc...

Linneaus described a lot of these hummingbirds, but I can't remember if he was the one who named them in English.

Obviously, there is a huge variety of hummingbirds, with a variety of amazing coloration. We can't just name them after colors and patterns, or we'd run out of naming pretty quickly, so ornithologists started going with more poetic naming.

I personally REALLY LIKE IT!

Fiery Topaz (Topaza pyra), male singing, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, Acre, Brazil

photograph by Hector Bottai 

[herpsandbirds]

Fiery Topaz (Topaza pyra), male, family Trochilidae, found in NW South America

photograph by @dustinchen0728

[libutron]

Crimson Topaz 

Topaza pella (Apodiformes - Trochilidae) is a South American species of hummingbird found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.

The Topaza hummingbirds are amongst the largest members of the family,  occupying lowland forests of northern Amazonia and the Guianan Shield where they apparently prefer the canopy and edge of forests on sandy soils, particularly along narrow blackwater streams and elsewhere near water.

The Crimson topaz shows sexual dimorphism of foot color and notable age-related variation in plumage. 

References: [1] - [2] - [3]

Photo credit: ©Jerry Oldenettel

Locality: Barquilla de Fresa Lodge, Las Claritas, Venezuela