Merida Starfrontlet
Coeligena eos
Large, long-billed hummingbird endemic to the Andes of Venezuela. Its bold, buffy-orange wing patches distinguish it from all other hummingbirds in its range. Male has a glittering violet throat patch, green forehead, and golden belly. Female is plainer with buffy underparts scaled with green. Inhabits high elevation cloud forest, and often seen feeding vertically on long, tubular flowers. Formerly treated as a subspecies of Golden-bellied Starfrontlet.
Identification
The golden-tailed starfrontlet is about 11.4 cm (4.5 in) long including its 3.0 cm (1.2 in) bill. Males weigh about of 6.8 g (0.24 oz) and females 6.4 g (0.23 oz). Both sexes have a white spot behind the eye. Adult males have a blackish crown with a glittering green forehead. Their upper back is shining golden green that transitions to the gold to golden orange rump. The throat and breast are glittering green and the throat has a small violet patch. The rest of the underparts are variable, from glittering coppery red to reddish gold. The undertail coverts are light cinnamon. The wings are dark with a rufous patch on the tertials. The slightly forked tail is rufous or cinnamon tipped with golden bronze. The adult female's forehead is plain green; the rest of the upperparts are colored like the male's but are duller. The throat is plain cinnamon buff and has green spots on its sides. The breast is mottled buff and green. The rest of the underparts are mostly cinnamon with a fiery gold belly and a coppery gold vent area.
Taxonomy
The golden-bellied starfrontlet and most other members of genus Coeligena were at one time placed in genus Helianthea but have been in their current placement since the mid-1900s. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC), the Clements taxonomy, and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World recognize the golden-tailed starfrontlet as a monotypic species, though each gives it a different English name. The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (SACC) considers it to be a subspecies of the golden-bellied starfrontlet (C. bonapartei) but is seeking a proposal to elevate it to species status.
- Scientific name
- Coeligena eos
- Authority
- (Gould, 1848)
- Order
- Caprimulgiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Coeligena
Range and habitat
The golden-tailed starfrontlet is found in the Andes of western Venezuela between the states of Lara and Táchira. It primarily inhabits the interior and edges of humid montane forest. It also occurs in dwarf forest and more open landscapes with scattered vegetation. In elevation it ranges from 1,400 to 3,200 m (4,600 to 10,500 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The golden-tailed starfrontlet apparently moves to higher elevation during the rainy season.<p>The golden-tailed starfrontlet gathers nectar from long tubular flowers, usually of low to medium height. It has been observed feeding at Ericaceae and at plants of genera Centropogon and Fuchsia. In addition to feeding on nectar it captures small arthropods by gleaning from foliage, hovering, and by hawking.<p>The golden-tailed starfrontlet's breeding season appears to be from January to March. It makes a cup nest of moss, lichens, and rootlets lined with softer plant material, and typically attaches it to a vertical branch within vegetation. Nothing else is known about its breeding biology.<p>As of early 2023 neither xeno-canto nor the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library had any recordings of the golden-tailed starfrontlet's vocalizations.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Madagascar Forest Rail
Mentocrex kioloides
Chunky rail with rich rufous coloration and a gray patch on the face. Found on the floor of eastern and northern rainforest, though it nests in trees. Usually in pairs or small groups. Very shy, and looks almost like a mammal when scurrying away from disturbance. Most common call is a long, ringing series of “kheow” notes. Also gives deep grunts and an explosive “tshak” call. Similar to Brown Mesite, but chunkier and shorter-tailed, with darker underparts. Told from Tsingy Wood-Rail by range. Smaller than White-throated Rail, with a shorter bill and a much smaller white throat patch.
Puna Tinamou
Tinamotis pentlandii
Large, cryptically patterned chickenlike bird of puna grassland and bogs in the high Andes. Usually seen in trios or family groups (males take care of the young); fairly common where not hunted, but mostly wary of people. Very heavy bodied and runs strongly; very rarely flies. Striped head and dark rusty belly are diagnostic plumage features. Loud, shrieky, and rollicking choruses carry far in the thin air of the altiplano.
McConnell's Flycatcher
Mionectes macconnelli
Small, drab forest bird. Note plain appearance and contrasting rufous belly. A widespread inhabitant of forest understory, but infrequently seen. Feeds on fruit and may associate with manakins at fruiting shrubs; also takes insects and follows mixed-species flocks. Very similar to Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, but is generally darker, lacks any pale edging on wings, and is less common in second-growth and disturbed habitats. Seldom heard except at leks.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.