Boissonneaua jardini
The Velvet-purple Coronet (*Boissonneaua jardini*) is a striking medium-sized hummingbird, measuring approximately 11.5 cm (4.5 inches) in length and weighing around 8.5 to 9.5 grams. Its most distinctive feature is the iridescent, velvety-purple plumage covering its head, throat, and underparts, which contrasts sharply with its glittering emerald-green back and wings. A key field mark distinguishing it from similar species is its prominent white undertail coverts, visible from below, and its...
This species primarily inhabits humid montane and cloud forests, frequenting forest edges, clearings, and areas near streams, typically found at elevations between 1,800 and 3,000 meters.
Primarily feeds on nectar from various flowering plants, particularly those with long corollas like *Centropogon* and *Fuchsia*, supplemented by small insects and spiders caught in flight or gleaned from vegetation.
Velvet-purple Coronets are diurnal and largely solitary, often encountered defending favored patches of flowering plants from conspecifics and other hummingbird species. They primarily forage using a 'traplining' method, visiting a circuit of flower sources repeatedly throughout the day, but also...
The Velvet-purple Coronet is a resident species found exclusively along the western slopes of the Andes mountains in southwestern Colombia and western Ecuador. Its distribution extends from the Nariño Department in southern Colombia, south through western Ecuador, reaching as far as the provinces...
Least Concern
- Its common name, "Coronet," refers to the species' prominent, iridescent crown of feathers, which, under specific light, can resemble a jeweled circlet. - The "velvet-purple" iridescence on its head and underparts is highly dependent on light angle, shifting from deep violet to blue or even app...