Purple-throated carib

Appearance

The purple-throated carib is 11 to 12 cm long. Males weigh 9 to 12 g and females 7 to 10 g; specimens of unrecorded sex weighed 6.7 to 10.8 g. The adult male and female have the same plumage. Their crown and back are velvety black, the throat and chest fiery purplish red, the wings bright golden green, and the tail and its upper and lower coverts metallic greenish blue. The male has a medium length slightly decurved bill; the female's is longer and more strongly curved. Immatures have an orange throat and chest with red speckles.

Distribution

The purple-throated carib is resident on Antigua, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Saba, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Sint Eustatius. It has occurred as a vagrant in Barbados, Barbuda, Grenada and the Greater Antilles.

Status

The IUCN has assessed the purple-throated carib as being of Least Concern, though its population size and trend are not known. Though it is restricted to a chain of small islands, it is a common resident in its elevation range. "Ready occupation of man-made habitats suggests that habitat loss is unlikely to be a problem."

Habitat

It inhabits the interior and edges of primary and secondary forest, mostly at elevations between 800 and 1,200 m.

Reproduction

The purple-throated carib nests mostly between February and May, but the season may start as early as January and extend to September. It makes a small cup nest from soft plant fibers and spider silk, and sometimes attaches lichens and bark strips to the outside. It attaches the nest to a vertical tree branch, typically between 3 and 5 m above the ground. Females are strongly territorial around the nest. The clutch is two eggs. The incubation time is 17 to 19 days with fledging 17 to 20 days after hatch.

Food

The purple-throated carib feeds primarily on nectar of flowering trees from the middle levels to the treetops. Males defend flower-centered feeding territories year round and females during the non-breeding season. The species also feeds on small arthropods, catching them on the wing and gleaning them from leaves, flowers, and spider webs.