The gorgeted puffleg (Eriocnemis isabellae ) 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.
In zoology, a nectarivore is an animal that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of the sugar-...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe gorgeted puffleg is 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 in) long and weighs about 4.5 g (0.16 oz). It has a short, straight, black bill. Unique among pufflegs, the male has a glittering violet-blue gorget edged with green. The male's upperparts are mostly blackish with golden olive green iridescence; the rump has a green gloss. The moderately forked tail is dark steely blue. The breast and belly are velvety black with green gloss on the sides and the undertail coverts are blue. The leg puffs are white. The eye is dark brown and the legs blackish. The female's upperparts are a lighter bronzy green with a bluish rump and uppertail coverts. The belly is golden green with rufous fringes to the feathers and a turquoise gloss.
The gorgeted puffleg is known only from the Serranía del Pinche in the Western Andes of Colombia's Department of Cauca. The habitat is characterized by steep slopes of very humid cloudforest and elfin forest with rocky outcrops and natural clearings. The vegetation is dominated by Andean oak (Quercus humboldtii ) with an understory of Ericaceae and several other plant families. In elevation this habitat is found mainly between 2,600 and 2,900 m (8,500 and 9,500 ft).
The movement pattern of the gorgeted puffleg is not known, but seasonal shifts in elevation are believed possible.
The gorgeted puffleg feeds on nectar from flowering shrubs in dense vegetation. It has been recorded feeding at Bejaria resinosa, Cavendishia bracteata, Cinchona pubescens, and Faramea flavicans.
Nothing is known about the gorgeted puffleg's breeding phenology.
The IUCN has assessed the gorgeted puffleg as Critically Endangered. It has an extremely small overall range with an even smaller amount of suitable habitat within it. Its population is estimated at between 250 and 999 mature individuals and decreasing. Its habitat is under continuing pressure from illegal coca cultivation, though its home mountain range is nominally protected as the Serranía del Pinche Protective Forest Reserve.
