How do you identify a Rainbow Starfrontlet?

The rainbow starfrontlet is 12.5 to 14 cm (4.9 to 5.5 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.

How big is a Rainbow Starfrontlet?

The Rainbow Starfrontlet is a tiny sized bird weighing about 7 g.

Where can you see a Rainbow Starfrontlet?

The Rainbow Starfrontlet occurs in 2 countries, including Ecuador and Peru.

What does a Rainbow Starfrontlet sound like?

You can listen to a field recording of the Rainbow Starfrontlet on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.

What birds look similar to a Rainbow Starfrontlet?

The Rainbow Starfrontlet is most easily confused with the Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, the Blue-throated Starfrontlet and the White-tailed Starfrontlet.

Is the Rainbow Starfrontlet endangered?

The Rainbow Starfrontlet is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Rainbow Starfrontlet

Coeligena iris

Hummingbirds · Apodiformes · Rare

The Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris) is a rare hummingbird found in 2 countries, weighing about 7 g. The rainbow starfrontlet is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae.

Least ConcernRareEats nectarforestcup nest7 g

Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris), photo 1 — Photo: Manuel Roncal · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris), photo 2 — Photo: Manuel Roncal · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris), photo 3 — Photo: Dan Vickers · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris), photo 4 — Photo: Manuel Roncal · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris), photo 5 — Photo: Manuel Roncal · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris), photo 6 — Photo: Manuel Roncal · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris), photo 7 — Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris), photo 8 — Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris), photo 9 — Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Rainbow Starfrontlet (Coeligena iris), photo 10 — Photo: Ryan F. Mandelbaum · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About the Rainbow Starfrontlet

The rainbow starfrontlet is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.

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

How to identify it

The rainbow starfrontlet is 12.5 to 14 cm (4.9 to 5.5 in) long. Males weigh 6.7 to 8.8 g (0.24 to 0.31 oz) and females 6 to 8.1 g (0.21 to 0.29 oz). 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. The subspecies differ significantly in their plumage. Males of the nominate subspecies have a glittering yellow-green forecrown that transitions through golden yellow to blue on the crown. Voice: During aerial chases, the rainbow starfrontlet makes a "thin, wiry chatter, rising and falling, with rattles and squeaky notes". It also makes "tsit" or "tip" notes.

What the Rainbow Starfrontlet sounds like

Recording: Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

Ecuador Peru

When to see it

The Rainbow Starfrontlet can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Rainbow Starfrontlet?: The rainbow starfrontlet is 12.5 to 14 cm (4.9 to 5.5 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Rainbow Starfrontlet?: The Rainbow Starfrontlet is a tiny sized bird weighing about 7 g.
Where can you see a Rainbow Starfrontlet?: The Rainbow Starfrontlet occurs in 2 countries, including Ecuador and Peru.
What does a Rainbow Starfrontlet sound like?: You can listen to a field recording of the Rainbow Starfrontlet on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
What birds look similar to a Rainbow Starfrontlet?: The Rainbow Starfrontlet is most easily confused with the Golden-bellied Starfrontlet, the Blue-throated Starfrontlet and the White-tailed Starfrontlet.
Is the Rainbow Starfrontlet endangered?: The Rainbow Starfrontlet is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Rainbow Starfrontlet for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

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