beija-flor-de-veste-preta vs Common Dodder

Anthracothorax nigricollis compared with Cuscuta gronovii

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	beija-flor-de-veste-preta	Common Dodder
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (plantas)
Phylum	Chordata (cordados)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Aves (ave)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Solanales (Solanales)
Family	Trochilidae	Convolvulaceae
Genus	Anthracothorax	Cuscuta
Species	Anthracothorax nigricollis	Cuscuta gronovii

Conservation Status

beija-flor-de-veste-preta

LC — Least Concern

Common Dodder

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	beija-flor-de-veste-preta	Common Dodder
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

beija-flor-de-veste-preta

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Common Dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (11 countries) and North America (United States).

beija-flor-de-veste-preta

Um grande e marcante beija-flor de florestas tropicais do sul do México à Argentina, os manga-de-garganta-preta apresentam marcado dimorfismo sexual — os machos exibem garganta e peito negro brilhante com flancos violáceos e verdes e uma cauda roxa destacada, enquanto as fêmeas são brancas na parte inferior com uma faixa preta central. Habitam bordas de floresta, clareiras e jardins, defendendo agressivamente árvores em floração. Os machos realizam espetaculares voos de exibição na altura do dossel da floresta. Classificado como Pouco Preocupante em toda a sua ampla área de distribuição neotropical.

Common Dodder

<em>Cuscuta gronovii</em>, the common dodder, is a parasitic annual vine in the family Convolvulaceae. This species is distributed across eleven European countries as well as the United States, where it typically inhabits diverse terrestrial environments including wetland margins, roadsides, thickets, and disturbed vegetation. Unlike most plants, <em>Cuscuta gronovii</em> lacks chlorophyll and is entirely dependent on host plants for water and nutrients, which it extracts through specialized structures called haustoria. The common dodder typically has slender, twining orange or yellowish stems and produces small, clustered white or pale pink flowers in late summer. It often parasitizes a broad range of host species, including many herbaceous and shrubby plants. Once attached to a host, it typically sheds its connection to the soil and relies entirely on the host for sustenance. The species is assessed as Least Concern, reflecting its wide distribution and ability to colonize disturbed habitats. Its parasitic life history makes it ecologically notable among flowering plants.