- Haplophaedia lugens
Identification
9–10 cm (3½-4 in); straight black bill
Male
- Bronze-green upperparts
- More coppery on crown and rump
- Dark grey underparts
- White edges to feathers on throat and breast
- Blackish, slightly forked tail
- White leg puffs on outside, chestnut on inside
Female and juvenile: similar but duller. Leg puffs white
Distribution
South America: found in the Andes of northwest Ecuador and Colombia.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Lower Andean wet forests and forest edges, clearings and scrub in low dense vegetation. Often seen near small streams. Observed at 2055 m.
Behaviour
Diet
Generally seen feeding in low bushes. Their main diet consists of nectar and insects.
Breeding
Their nest is constructed from plant material and moss, held together with spiders web. It is attached to the underside of leaves up to 2 m from the ground. The clutch contains 2 white eggs, which are incubated by the female for 15-17 days. The chicks fledge after 20-24 days.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Heynen, I. and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Hoary Puffleg (Haplophaedia lugens), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.hoapuf1.01
- Birdforum Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Hoary Puffleg. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Hoary_Puffleg
