Glowing Puffleg

Eriocnemis vestita

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernNectarForestCup nestTiny · 5 g

What the Glowing Puffleg sounds like

Sonogram of the Glowing Puffleg: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Zamora-Chinchipe: camp on Ventanilla-Christopher Parson trail, Reserva Tapichalaca, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The glowing puffleg is 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long. Males weigh 3.3 to 7.2 g (0.12 to 0.25 oz) and females 3.6 to 5.3 g (0.13 to 0.19 oz). It has a straight blackish bill. The nominate subspecies' male has shining dark green upperparts with a golden green rump and uppertail coverts. It has a glittering purple throat patch thinly surrounded by golden green. The rest of its throat and its upper breast are shining blackish green, its belly glittering golden green, and its undertail coverts iridescent purplish blue. Its leg puffs are white. The tail is forked and dark steel blue. Voice: The glowing puffleg's only described vocalization is "a single metallic note 'tseek' or doubled 'tsi-tseek', repeated at irregular intervals". It is given both from a perch and while hovering.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Glowing Puffleg

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is January, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Glowing Puffleg

Regular range

The map shades 4 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

About the Glowing Puffleg

The glowing puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Glowing Puffleg vs Golden-breasted Puffleg · Glowing Puffleg vs Sapphire-vented Puffleg · Black-thighed Puffleg vs Glowing Puffleg

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