Coeligena bonapartei
The Golden-bellied Starfrontlet (Coeligena bonapartei) is a dazzling medium-sized hummingbird, measuring approximately 10.9-11.4 cm (4.3-4.5 inches) in length and weighing 6.5-8.5 grams. Males are particularly striking, adorned with a brilliant golden-orange belly, a shimmering green gorget, a rich purple breast band, and a diagnostic glittering emerald-green forehead patch—the 'starfrontlet' that gives the genus its name. Females are more subdued but still elegant, featuring a paler, often b...
This species primarily inhabits humid montane cloud forests and forest edges, frequently found in disturbed areas, plantations, and clearings with flowering plants, typically at elevations ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 meters (6,500 to 9,800 feet) above sea level.
Primarily feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, particularly those with long, tubular blossoms, supplemented with small arthropods (insects and spiders) for protein, often caught by hawking or gleaning from foliage.
Golden-bellied Starfrontlets are diurnal, active foragers, especially at dawn and dusk, often seen trap-lining between favored flowering plants. Males are fiercely territorial, aggressively defending rich patches of flowers from other hummingbirds, insects, and even larger birds, often engaging i...
The Golden-bellied Starfrontlet is a resident species found exclusively in the northern Andes of South America. Its primary range extends from western Venezuela (specifically the Cordillera de Mérida) southwestward through the three Andean cordilleras of Colombia, continuing into the eastern Ande...
Least Concern
- The genus name "Coeligena" means "heavenly-born," a fitting tribute to these spectacular hummingbirds. - Its dazzling "starfrontlet" refers to the highly iridescent, emerald-green patch on the male's forehead that glows like a jewel. - Golden-bellied Starfrontlets can enter a state of torpor, d...