Bird Guide

Violet-throated Starfrontlet vs White-tailed Starfrontlet

Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Coeligena violifer)

Violet-throated Starfrontlet

Coeligena violifer

Tiny7 gForest

All four subspecies of violet-throated starfrontlet are 13 to 14.5 cm (5.1 to 5.7 in) long. All have long, straight, black bills, with the females' being longer than the males'. Both sexes of all subspecies have a white spot behind the eye. Both sexes have a forked tail, with the male's more deeply indented than the female's. Males of the nominate subspecies weigh 8 to 13 g (0.28 to 0.46 oz) and females 4 to 6 g (0.14 to 0.21 oz). The male's head is blackish blue and the back shining bronzy green. The tail is orange-buff with small bronzy tips. Voice: What is thought to be the song of the nominate subspecies of violet-throated starfrontlet is "a mellow drawn-out whistle followed by three nasal notes 'drreeeuw…nyeh-nyeh-nyeh'." It also makes "very sweet and mellow" single or double notes. The presumed songs of both C. v. albicaudata and C. v.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Allan Harris · CC0
White-tailed Starfrontlet (Coeligena phalerata)

White-tailed Starfrontlet

Coeligena phalerata

Tiny6 gForest

The white-tailed starfrontlet is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long. Both sexes have a long, straight, black bill, with the female's being somewhat longer than the male's. Both sexes have a white spot behind the eye. Both sexes also have a forked tail, but the male's is more deeply indented than the female's. Adult males have metallic dark green upperparts with a glittering turquoise crown. The entire tail is white, though the feathers when fresh have bronze tips. They have a blue gorget, mostly emerald green underparts, white leg puffs, and white undertail coverts. Voice: Only a few white-tailed starfrontlet vocalizations have been recorded. It is known to make "a high-pitched chattering 'tsee-tsee-tsi-tsi-tsirrrrr' and lower-pitched short rattles."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada · CC BY 2.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Violet-throated Starfrontlet and White-tailed Starfrontlet.