White-tailed starfrontlet
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Coeligena phalerata

The white-tailed starfrontlet (Coeligena phalerata ) is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta of northeastern Colombia.

Appearance

The white-tailed starfrontlet is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long. Both sexes have a long, straight, black bill, with the female's being somewhat longer than the male's. Both sexes have a white spot behind the eye. Both sexes also have a forked tail, but the male's is more deeply indented than the female's. Adult males have metallic dark green upperparts with a glittering turquoise crown. The entire tail is white, though the feathers when fresh have bronze tips. They have a blue gorget, mostly emerald green underparts, white leg puffs, and white undertail coverts. Adult females have a dusky blue-green crown and shining green upperparts. The tail is bronzy with pale buff tips to the feathers. Its underparts are rufous cinnamon. Immatures are similar to the adult female.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Countries
Biogeographical realms

The white-tailed starfrontlet is found only in northeast Colombia's isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It inhabits humid to wet montane forest; males prefer openings within the forest while females are more often seen at the forest edge. In elevation it ranges between 1,400 and 3,700 m (4,600 and 12,100 ft).

White-tailed starfrontlet habitat map

Biome

White-tailed starfrontlet habitat map
White-tailed starfrontlet
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Habits and Lifestyle

Nothing is known about the white-tailed starfrontlet's movements, if any.

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

The white-tailed starfrontlet feeds on nectar. Sources are known to include Fuchsia and bromeliads, though it probably feeds on a wide variety of plants like others of its genus. It is more territorial than other Coeligena but also sometimes feeds by trap-lining. In addition to feeding on nectar it captures small arthropods by gleaning from foliage and by hawking.

Mating Habits

The white-tailed starfrontlet's breeding season appears to span from February to April, but nothing else is known about its breeding phenology.

Population

Population number

The IUCN originally assessed the white-tailed starfrontlet as being of Least Concern but since 2018 has rated it as Near Threatened. It has a very small range "where it is under threat of habitat loss and fragmentation". Its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing.

References

1. White-tailed starfrontlet Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_starfrontlet
2. White-tailed starfrontlet on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22687825/176218066
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/235644

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