Royal Sunangel
Heliangelus regalis
The Royal Sunangel (Heliangelus regalis) is a rare hummingbird found in 2 countries, weighing about 4 g. The royal sunangel is an endangered species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae.
About the Royal Sunangel
The royal sunangel is an endangered species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The royal sunangel is 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 3.4 to 4.5 g (0.12 to 0.16 oz). Its black bill is short and straight. Both subspecies are strongly sexually dichromatic. The adult males are unique among genus Heliangelus: Their bodies are entirely dark blue. The nominate's plumage is slightly shiny, with significant iridescence only on its forecrown (just above the bill). H. r. johnsoni is intensely iridescent all over and especially so on the crown, throat, and upper breast. The male nominate's tail is dark metallic violet-purple and that of johnsoni is metallic indigo. Voice: The royal sunangel has a wide variety of vocalizations. During aerial displays males give "a series of emphatic 'tseep' notes". Two agonistic males "uttered an endless, thin, high-pitched jumble of 'jijijit'jijit'jijit'jijiji…' notes". Calls given while feeding are "a repeated short dry and emphatis 'tsik' or 'tsawk'". One male gave "a sharp, high-pitched, fast 'chichúp chúp!
What the Royal Sunangel sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Royal Sunangel?
- The royal sunangel is 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 3.4 to 4.5 g (0.12 to 0.16 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Royal Sunangel?
- The Royal Sunangel is a tiny sized bird weighing about 4 g.
- Where can you see a Royal Sunangel?
- The Royal Sunangel occurs in 2 countries, including Peru and Ecuador.
- What does a Royal Sunangel sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Royal Sunangel on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Royal Sunangel?
- The Royal Sunangel is most easily confused with the Orange-throated Sunangel, the Merida Sunangel and the Flame-throated Sunangel.
- Is the Royal Sunangel endangered?
- The Royal Sunangel is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Royal Sunangel 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.
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