Heliangelus exortis
The Tourmaline Sunangel, *Heliangelus exortis*, is a dazzling medium-sized hummingbird renowned for its iridescent plumage and active lifestyle in the Andean cloud forests. Males are particularly striking, boasting a vibrant crimson-red gorget that shimmers with purple highlights, contrasting sharply with their deep emerald-green body plumage and a distinct white postocular spot behind the eye. Measuring approximately 9-10 cm (3.5-4 inches) in length and weighing around 4-5 grams, their small...
This species primarily inhabits humid montane cloud forests, forest edges, and shrubby clearings within the tropical Andes, typically found at elevations ranging from 1,800 to 3,000 meters.
The diet of the Tourmaline Sunangel consists predominantly of nectar extracted from a variety of flowering plants, supplemented by small insects captured by hawking in flight.
Tourmaline Sunangels are intensely active and diurnal, spending their days trap-lining for nectar from a diverse array of flowering plants and hawking small insects in mid-air. Males are highly territorial, fiercely defending prime feeding grounds with aggressive aerial chases and vocalizations, ...
The Tourmaline Sunangel is resident across a significant portion of the northern and central Andes, primarily distributed from northern Colombia south through Ecuador, and extending into the extreme northern reaches of Peru. In Colombia, it is found in all three Andean cordilleras (Western, Centr...
Least Concern
- The male's gorget can appear brilliant crimson, fiery orange, or deep purple depending on the angle of light, a phenomenon known as structural coloration. - Despite their small size, Tourmaline Sunangels are aggressive defenders of their feeding territories against other hummingbirds and even l...