About Boissonneaua jardini (Bourcier, 1851)
Size and Weight
The velvet-purple coronet (Boissonneaua jardini) is 11 to 12.7 cm (4.3 to 5.0 in) long and weighs 8.0 to 8.5 g (0.28 to 0.30 oz).
Shared Physical Traits
Both sexes have a short, straight, black bill, a white spot behind the eye, a notched tail (the female's notch is less deep than the male's), and small white puffs on the legs.
Male Head and Upperpart Coloration
Males have a velvety black head with a glittering purplish blue crown, and the rest of their upperparts are shining bluish green.
Male Underpart Coloration
Their throat is velvety black, while their breast and belly are glittering purplish blue.
Male Wing and Tail Features
Their underwing coverts are cinnamon-colored, which is visible during flight. The central tail feathers of males are black, and the remaining tail feathers are white with black tips and edges.
Female Physical Traits
Females have similar patterning to males but are duller overall, and their breast and belly feathers have buff to grayish brown fringes.
Species Range
This species is found along the Pacific slope of the Andes, from southwestern Colombia's Chocó Department to northwestern Ecuador's Pichincha Province.
Habitat Preferences
It mostly lives in the interior and edges of wet mossy primary and secondary forest, but can also be found in shrubby landscapes.
Elevation Range by Country
In Ecuador, it has been recorded at elevations between 800 and 1,700 m (2,600 and 5,600 ft), while in Colombia it has been recorded between 350 and 2,200 m (1,150 and 7,220 ft).
Most Common Elevation
It is most common at elevations above 1,200 m (3,900 ft).
