Boissonneaua flavescens (Loddiges, 1832)

Size and Weight

The buff-tailed coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens (Loddiges, 1832)) is 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 7.3 to 8.8 g (0.26 to 0.31 oz).

Shared Morphological Traits

Both sexes have a short, straight, black bill and a small white spot behind the eye, as well as small white tufts on the legs.

Nominate Male Plumage

Males of the nominate subspecies are mostly shining green, with a buff belly marked by green spots. Their underwing coverts are cinnamon, and are visible when the bird is in flight. Their central tail feathers are bronzy, while the rest are buff with bronze tips and edges.

Nominate Female Plumage

The nominate female has more buff on its underparts, and the bronze coloring on its tail is less extensive.

Subspecies B. f. tinochlora Plumage

For the subspecies B. f. tinochlora, the buff-colored body parts of both sexes have a cinnamon tint, and there is more bronze on the tips of the tail feathers.

Nominate Subspecies Distribution

The nominate subspecies is distributed from the Andes of western Venezuela's Mérida state south and west through all three Andean ranges of Colombia.

B. f. tinochlora Distribution

B. f. tinochlora is found from southwestern Colombia south along the west slope of the Andes as far as Cotopaxi Province in central Ecuador, and also occurs in a few locations on Ecuador's eastern Andean slope.

Habitat

This species lives in the interior and edges of humid to wet montane forest, cloudforest, and elfin forest, and can also be found in more open shrubby landscapes.

Elevational Range

Its elevational range is 2,000 to 3,500 m (6,600 to 11,500 ft).