From Opus

Includes Longuemare's Sunangel and Merida Sunangel

Photo by Stanley Jones
Abra Malaga Area, east of Cusco, Cusco District, Peru, September, 2009

Sub-adult Male
Photo by edenwatcher
Tapichalaca, Ecuador, March 2006

Heliangelus amethysticollis

[edit] Identification

9.4 cm. Dark green above, black crown, bold white spot behind the eye, glittering pinkish-purple throat, breast and belly dark green mixed with grey. Females resemble males but are duller.

[edit] Distribution

South America. Found in: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• H. a. violiceps :

• Sierra de Perijá (Colombia/Venezuela border)

• H. a. spencei:

• Andes of north-western Venezuela (Mérida)

• H. a. clarisse:

• Eastern Andes of Colombia and adjacent western Venezuela

• H. a. laticlavius:

• Andes of southern Ecuador and northern Peru

• H. a. decolor:

• Eastern Andes of central Peru (south of Río Marañón)

• H. a. amethysticollis:

• Andes of southern Peru to north-western Bolivia

Three of these subspecies have sometimes been placed as a full species: Heliangelus clarisse (Longuemare's Sunangel) including violiceps, and spencei; when spencei is recognized as its own species the name Merida Sunangel is used. ^{[2, 3]}

[edit] Habitat

Moist montanes.

[edit] Behaviour

Diet includes nectar and insects.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase
3. SACC proposal to recognize Longuemare's Sunangel (did not pass)

• List of references

[edit] External Links