Birds of the World


Scaled Metaltail (Metallura aeneocauda) Female Range: SA: Peru and Bolivia Manu, Peru
Photograph by Bruno Conjeaud © All Rights Reserved.

The Scaled Metailtail overlaps with the Tyrian Metaltail where the Tyrian has a blue tail (although that blue tail may appear red). The Scaled has a 'bronzy-green' tail (Birds of Peru) and is 25% larger at 13 cm.


Violet-throated Metaltail (Metallura baroni) Male Endangered Range: SA: sc Ecuador Cajas National Park, Ecuador
Photograph by Peter Hawrylyshyn © All Rights Reserved.


Violet-throated Metaltail (Metallura baroni) Female Endangered Range: SA: sc Ecuador Cajas National Park, Ecuador
Photograph by Peter Hawrylyshyn © All Rights Reserved.


Fiery-throated Metaltail (Metallura eupogon) Range: SA: Peru Carretera Satipo, Peru
Photograph by Bradley Hacker © All Rights Reserved.


Perija Metaltail (Metallura iracunda) Male Endangered Range: SA: n Colombia and Venezuela Colombia
Photograph by Andres Cuervo Copyright and usage info This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License. In short: you are free to share and make derivative works of the file under the conditions that you appropriately attribute it, and that you distribute it only under a license identical to this one.


Perija Metaltail (Metallura iracunda) Female Endangered Range: SA: n Colombia and Venezuela Perijá Mountains, Cesar, Colombia
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.

Slightly larger than the Tyrian Metaltail also found in Perija, and usually found over 3000m in the paramo. Note dark colors on male.


Neblina Metaltail (Metallura odomae) Male Range: SA: s Ecuador and n Peru Peru
Photograph by Peter Hawrylyshyn © All Rights Reserved.


Neblina Metaltail (Metallura odomae) Female Range: SA: s Ecuador and n Peru Peru
Photograph by Peter Hawrylyshyn © All Rights Reserved.


Black Metaltail (Metallura phoebe) Female Range: SA: Peru Rio Chonta, Cajamarca, Peru The male has a green gorget and bronzy metal tail.
Photograph by Tropical Birding (Nick Athanas) © All Rights Reserved.


Coppery Metaltail (Metallura theresiae) Male Range: SA: n, c Peru Unchog, Peru
Photograph by Bradley Hacker © All Rights Reserved.


Coppery Metaltail (Metallura theresiae) Female Range: SA: n, c Peru Barros Negro, Peru
Photograph by Peter Hawrylyshyn © All Rights Reserved.


Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina smaragdinicollis) Range: SA: n Venezuela to n Bolivia Wayqecha, Peru A photo of southern Peru blue-tailed race with red tail with just some touches of blue.
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.


Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina quitensis) Male Range: SA: n Venezuela to n Bolivia Guango Lodge, Ecuador Note red back of tail distinctive for this species.
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.


Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina districta) Male Range: SA: n Venezuela to n Bolivia ProAves El Dorado Reserve, Santa Marta Sierra Nevada, Magdalena, Colombia Blue-tailed Santa Marta and Perija race.
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.


Tyrian Metaltail (Metallura tyrianthina tyrianthina) Female Range: SA: n Venezuela to n Bolivia Manizales, Colombia
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.

A small hummingbird with a short bill.
Alt. photo
An odd female from Perija. The female of subspecies districta is not supposed to spotted.


Viridian Metaltail (Metallura williami williami) Male Range: SA: c Colombia to s Ecuador Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.


Viridian Metaltail (Metallura williami atrigularis) Male Range: SA: c Colombia to s Ecuador Gualaceo, Azuay Province, Ecuador Note black throat on atrigularis subspecies, which is not present in other races. Also note green inside of tail of both Ecuadorian subspecies.
Photograph by Peter Hawrylyshyn © All Rights Reserved.


Viridian Metaltail (Metallura williami atrigularis) Male Range: SA: c Colombia to s Ecuador Alshi, Morona-Santiago Province, Ecuador Compare to the red back of tail of the Tyrian Metaltail.
Photograph by Peter Hawrylyshyn © All Rights Reserved.


Viridian Metaltail (Metallura williami williami) Female Range: SA: c Colombia to s Ecuador Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia
Photograph by Tom Friedel © All Rights Reserved.

A small hummingbird generally found at higher altitudes than the Tyrian Metaltail (usually at over 3000m). Males of subspecies williami in central Colombia have a blue on inside of tail. Others races have green on inside of tail.
Back of tail.