Velvet-purple Coronet

About the Velvet-purple Coronet

The velvet-purple coronet (Boissonneaua jardini) is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. The velvet-purple coronet shares genus Boissonneaua with two other coronets, the chestnut-breasted (B. matthewsii) and buff-tailed (B. flavescens). It is monotypic.

The velvet-purple coronet is 11 to 12.7 cm (4.3 to 5.0 in) long and weighs 8.0 to 8.5 g (0.28 to 0.30 oz). Both sexes have a short, straight, black bill and a white spot behind the eye. Both have a notched tail, though the female's is less deeply indented than the male's, and both have small white puffs on the legs. Males have a velvety black head with a glittering purplish blue crown; the rest of the upperparts are shining bluish green. The throat is velvety black and the breast and belly glittering purplish blue. The underwing coverts are cinnamon and show in flight. The central tail feathers are black and the rest white with black tips and edges. Females are similar to males but duller overall, and the breast and belly feathers have buff to grayish brown fringes.

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