Glowing Puffleg

About the Glowing Puffleg

The glowing puffleg (Eriocnemis vestita) is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The glowing puffleg has four recognized subspecies:

E. v. paramillo Chapman (1917) E. v. vestita Lesson (1838) E. v. smaragdinipectus Gould (1868) E. v. arcosae Schuchmann, Weller, & Heynen (2001) Several other subspecies have been proposed but all are now (2022) considered to be hybrids or color morphs of these four.

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. The female has shining golden green upperparts. Its throat... Wikipedia →