Heliangelus amethysticollis
The Amethyst-throated Sunangel (*Heliangelus amethysticollis*) is a captivating medium-sized hummingbird, typically measuring 10-12 cm (4-4.7 inches) in length and weighing between 4-5.6 grams. Males are renowned for their brilliant, iridescent amethyst-purple gorget, sharply contrasted by a prominent white post-ocular spot and glittering emerald-green upperparts. A distinct white breast band separates the gorget from a green belly, culminating in a relatively short, dark-forked tail. Females...
This species inhabits humid montane forests, cloud forest edges, and shrubby clearings within the Andes, typically at elevations between 1,800 to 3,200 meters, though records exist from 1,500m to 3,700m.
Primarily feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, supplementing its diet with small insects and spiders captured in flight or gleaned from vegetation.
Amethyst-throated Sunangels are largely solitary birds, active during daylight hours, often foraging from dawn until dusk. They employ a "trap-lining" foraging strategy, repeatedly visiting a circuit of scattered flowering plants for nectar, hovering adeptly before each blossom. Small insects and...
The Amethyst-throated Sunangel is endemic to the Andes mountain range, with its distribution stretching from southern Colombia, through Ecuador and Peru, and extending into Bolivia. It is found predominantly along the eastern slopes of the Andes, generally at elevations between 1,800 and 3,200 me...
Least Concern
- The male's dazzling amethyst gorget is not pigmented but relies on the structural arrangement of barbules to reflect light, creating its jewel-like sparkle. - Despite their small size, Amethyst-throated Sunangels are adapted to the cool, oxygen-thin air of the high Andes, a challenging environm...