| Hoary puffleg | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Strisores |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Genus: | Haplophaedia |
| Species: | H. lugens |
| Binomial name | |
| Haplophaedia lugens (Gould, 1852) | |
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The hoary puffleg (Haplophaedia lugens) is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. [3] [4]
The hoary puffleg is 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long and weighs 5 to 6 g (0.18 to 0.21 oz). [5] It has a straight black bill. Males have bronze-green upperparts with a coppery hue on the crown and rump. The underparts are dark gray with a whitish scaly appearance on the throat and breast and a greenish sheen on the flanks. The leg puffs are white on the outside and chestnut on the inside. The slightly forked tail is blackish. Females are similar but duller overall and their leg puffs are entirely white. Juveniles resemble females. [6]
The hoary puffleg is found in a fairly narrow band on the Pacific slope of the Andes, from southwestern Colombia's Nariño Department south into Ecuador as far as Pichincha Province. It inhabits cloudforest, the borders of other types of tropical and subtropical forest, and scrublands. It tends to stay in low dense vegetation, often near streams. In Colombia it has been recorded between elevations of 1,200 and 2,000 m (3,900 and 6,600 ft) and locally as high as 2,500 m (8,200 ft). In Ecuador records span from 1,525 to 2,100 m (5,000 to 6,900 ft). [6]
The hoary puffleg is a year-round resident throughout its range. [6]
The hoary puffleg forages for nectar mostly near the ground but occasionally in the canopy. It is territorial and defends clusters of flowers. It typically feeds on flowers with short corollas such as Besleria sp., Palicourea sp., Thibaudia sp., Melastomataceae, and Marantaceae. In addition to nectar, it feeds on insects that it gleans from leaves. [6] [7]
The hoary puffleg's breeding season has not been well defined, but nesting has been recorded in May and August. The nest is a hanging cup or ball made of moss and spiderweb; it is attached to the underside of a fern or other large leaf that protects it from rain. It is typically 0.5 to 2 m (2 to 7 ft) above the ground. The female incubates the clutch of two white eggs for 15 to 17 days and fledging occurs 20 to 24 days after hatch. [6] [7]
Only one hoary puffleg vocalization has been described, "a single strident 'tzik' or doubled 'tsi-tsik', repeated at irregular intervals". It is given both from a perch and in flight. [6]
The IUCN originally assessed the hoary puffleg as Threatened but since 2004 has rated it as Near Threatened. It has a very small range; its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. [1] It is found in a few protected areas but "suitable habitat is rapidly disappearing due to extensive deforestation." [6]
The green thorntail is a small hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama.
The pufflegs are hummingbirds from the genera Eriocnemis and Haplophaedia. They occur in humid forest, woodland and shrub at altitudes of 1000 to 4800 m. asl in the Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. The males have a colorful green, coppery or blue plumage, and the females are generally somewhat duller. The most striking feature of both sexes is their dense snow-white leg puffs which consist of feather tufts that resemble woolly panties. One species - the black-thighed puffleg - is characterized by black coloured leg puffs, and another - the buff-thighed puffleg - has lightly buff-tinged leg puffs. Further common features of all species are the straight black bill and the slightly to deeply forked tail. The members of the genus Haplophaedia are generally duller than the members of Eriocnemis.
The colorful puffleg is an Endangered species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is endemic to Colombia.
The purple-bibbed whitetip is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
The white-booted racket-tail is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
The purple-throated woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.
The gorgeted puffleg is a Critically Endangered species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is endemic to Colombia. It was discovered in 2005 and confirmed as a species new to science in 2007.
The velvet-purple coronet is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
The emerald-bellied puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in the subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The coppery-bellied puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
The black-thighed puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
The blue-capped puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia.
The sapphire-vented puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and possibly Venezuela.
The golden-breasted puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
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.
The buff-thighed puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Bolivia and Peru.
The greenish puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Peru.
Geoffroy's daggerbill, Geoffroy's wedgebill, or eastern wedge-billed hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The Peruvian racket-tail is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
The green-backed hillstar, formerly included in the white-tailed hillstar, is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
