Heliodoxa branickii
The Rufous-webbed Brilliant (Heliodoxa branickii) is a medium-sized, strikingly iridescent hummingbird, typically measuring between 11 to 12.5 centimeters in length and weighing 7 to 8 grams. Its most distinctive field mark, and the source of its common name, is a conspicuous rufous-chestnut patch at the base of its primary flight feathers, visible in flight or when the wings are folded. Males exhibit brilliant glittering green plumage overall, highlighted by an iridescent violet-blue gorget ...
Primarily inhabiting the humid subtropical and tropical montane cloud forests of the Andes, the Rufous-webbed Brilliant thrives in dense forest interiors, forest edges, and natural clearings, typically at elevations ranging from 1,800 to 3,000 meters, occasionally venturing higher.
The Rufous-webbed Brilliant feeds predominantly on nectar, obtained from a wide variety of flowering plants including those from the Ericaceae, Gesneriaceae, and Rubiaceae families, and supplements this with small insects and spiders gleaned from foliage or caught in flight.
This diurnal hummingbird exhibits a trap-lining foraging strategy, methodically visiting a circuit of flowering plants for nectar throughout its territory. Males are often fiercely territorial, aggressively defending rich patches of flowers from conspecifics and even larger birds. Courtship typic...
The Rufous-webbed Brilliant has a relatively restricted but stable geographic distribution, primarily found along the eastern slopes of the Andes mountains. Its main breeding and year-round range extends from southeastern Ecuador, through much of eastern Peru, and into extreme northern Bolivia. I...
Least Concern
- The "Brilliant" in its name refers to the often shimmering, iridescent plumage characteristic of its genus, Heliodoxa. - Its specific epithet, branickii, honors Polish nobleman and collector Konstanty Branicki, who sponsored natural history expeditions. - The rufous patch on its primaries is a ...