Coeligena helianthea
The Blue-throated Starfrontlet, *Coeligena helianthea*, is an exquisite and often sought-after hummingbird of the high Andes, celebrated for its spectacular iridescent plumage. Measuring approximately 10-14 cm (4-5.5 inches) in length and weighing a mere 6-8 grams, both sexes boast a shimmering emerald green body with a prominent white post-ocular spot, contrasting sharply with their deep forked tail, which is bronzy-green with dusky outer rectrices. The male is particularly striking, featuri...
Found primarily in humid montane cloud forests, elfin forests, and forest edges, as well as paramos with scattered shrubs. It inhabits high elevations, typically between 2,000 and 3,500 meters (6,500-11,500 feet) above sea level.
Feeds primarily on nectar extracted from a variety of large-flowered plants, particularly those with long corollas like *Centropogon*, *Bomarea*, and *Puya*. It supplements its diet with small insects and spiders, caught by hawking in flight or gleaning from vegetation.
Blue-throated Starfrontlets are diurnal and generally solitary, exhibiting strong territoriality, especially around favored nectar sources. Males will aggressively defend prime flower patches from conspecifics and even larger bird species, engaging in aerial chases with chattering calls. They emp...
The Blue-throated Starfrontlet is endemic to the Andes Mountains, with its distribution spanning across Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. In Venezuela, it is found in the Andes of Táchira, Mérida, and Trujillo. Its range continues south through the eastern and central Andes of Colombia, where it ...
Least Concern
- The Blue-throated Starfrontlet's iridescent gorget can appear to shift from violet to brilliant blue, even to black, depending on the angle of light, a phenomenon known as structural coloration. - Despite its relatively large size for a hummingbird, it maintains an incredibly high metabolic rat...