- Aglaeactis castelnaudii
Includes: Northern White-tufted Sunbeam; Southern White-tufted Sunbeam
Identification
12 cm. Gives a fuscous impression with tawny tail.
- Straight black bill
- Fuscous-black upperparts with strong magenta reflection on rump and lower back
- Dull brown underparts with blackish upper throat and pectoral band
- White feather tuft on central breast
- Tawny, forked tail
- regalis with a shorter bill, a rufous tail and generally a more rufous-brown plumage
Females have a less iridescent back and the tail is less forked.
Juveniles are more uniform brown and have no iridescent feathers.
Distribution
Two disjunct areas in the Andes of Peru.
A restricted-range species but common in its small range.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are recognized[1]:
- A. c. regalis:
- Andes of central Peru (Huánuco, Pasco and Junín) - Northern White-tufted Sunbeam
- A. c. castelnaudii:
- Andes of south Peru (Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Apurímac, Cuzco) - Southern White-tufted Sunbeam
Habitat
Found in patches of evergreen montane forest, especially common in Escallonia and Polylepis forest with flowering vines.
Usually in drier zones and at much greater altitudes than Shining Sunbeam. Occurs at 3500 to 4300 m, rarely up to 4600m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on nectar from flowers of Barnadesia, Berberis, Brachyotum, Centropogon, Labiatae, Lupinus, Salpichroa and Siphocampylos.
Forages by clinging to the flowers. Takes also insects in the air.
Breeding
Nothing known.
Movements
A resident species. Probably some seasonal shifts in the dry season.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Jan 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-tufted Sunbeam. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-tufted_Sunbeam
