Purple-throated Woodstar

Photo by cfagyal
Photo taken at the Tandayapa Lodge, Ecuador, September 2004

Calliphlox mitchellii

Philodice mitchellii

Identification

Female
Photo by kitefarrago
Tandayapa Lodge, Pichincha, Ecuador, July 2016

6·8–7·5 cm (2¾-3 in)
White or pale orange spot on flanks
Male

• Dusky bronze-green upperparts
• White patch either side of rump
• Purple gorget
• White half collar
• Dark flanks
• Llong tail
  

Female

• White or orange speckled throat
• Orange belly

Similar Species

Juvenile male
Photo by kitefarrago
Tandayapa Lodge, Pichincha, Ecuador, July 2016

Both sexes are similar to the White-bellied Woodstar.

Distribution

Central and South America: found in Panama, Colombia and Ecuador.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Habitat

Humid forest and forest borders. Found from the coast to 2400 m.

Behaviour

Action

With a very insect-like flight, they hold themselves horizontally, fly much more deliberately and less jerkily, and do not often perch on the feeders.

Diet

Their main diet consists of nectar from flowering trees. They also hawk for flying insects.

Breeding

They construct a cup-shaped nest from fine fibres and spiders web. It is placed about 8-12 m from the ground on thick branches in tall trees.

References

1. 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/
2. Avibase
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Feb 2018)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Purple-throated Woodstar. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Purple-throated_Woodstar

External Links

Search for photos of Purple-throated Woodstar in the gallery