Violet-fronted brilliant

Violet-fronted brilliant
male in eastern Ecuador
female from Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Apodiformes
Family:Trochilidae
Genus:Heliodoxa
Species: H. leadbeateri
Binomial name
Heliodoxa leadbeateri
Bourcier, 1843

The violet-fronted brilliant (Heliodoxa leadbeateri) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found on the east slope of the Andes in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

Male - Cock-of-the Rock Lodge - Peru (flash photo)
Female - Copa Linga Lodge - Ecuador (flash photo)

Description

The male and female of this species are quite different (sexually dimorphic). Both sexes are metallic green above with a white postocular spot and a forked blue-black tail. The male has a glittering violet forecrown, a glittering green throat, and glittering blue-green breast. The belly is metallic green. The female has a glittering light blue forecrown and a white malar streak (a white streak from the base of the bill extending back below the eye). It is whitish below with green spots and with more solid greenish sides.

References

Ridgely, Robert S.; Greenfield, Paul J. (2001). The Birds of Ecuador. Cornell University Press

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Heliodoxa leadbeateri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.


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