Aglaeactis pamela
The Black-hooded Sunbeam, *Aglaeactis pamela*, is a striking medium-sized hummingbird endemic to the high Andes of Bolivia. Measuring approximately 12-13 cm (4.7-5.1 inches) in length and weighing around 7-8 grams (0.25-0.28 ounces), its most distinguishing field mark is the glossy, velvety black hood covering its head and throat, which starkly contrasts with its brilliantly iridescent body. The back and rump shimmer with bronze-green, coppery-red, or deep purple hues, often accentuated by a ...
Found in high-altitude humid montane cloud forests, elfin forests, shrubby borders, and open scrublands, typically between 2,500 and 4,500 meters (8,200 to 14,760 feet) elevation.
Primarily feeds on nectar from high-altitude flowering plants, complemented by small arthropods (insects and spiders) captured in flight or gleaned from vegetation.
Black-hooded Sunbeams are diurnal and generally solitary, exhibiting typical hummingbird foraging and territorial behaviors. They primarily hover while feeding on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, but also frequently hawk for small insects in flight or glean them from foliage to suppleme...
The Black-hooded Sunbeam is endemic to the high-altitude eastern slopes of the Andes in Bolivia. Its distribution extends from the Department of La Paz in the north, southward through Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and Chuquisaca, reaching as far south as PotosÃ. This species is largely restricted to th...
Least Concern
- The Black-hooded Sunbeam is one of only four species in the *Aglaeactis* genus, collectively known as 'sunbeams' due to their brilliant, sun-like iridescence. - Its dazzling, iridescent body feathers can appear coppery-red, bronze, or purple, shifting dramatically with the angle of light. - Des...