Coeligena bonapartei (Boissonneau, 1840)

Common Name and Body Length

Coeligena bonapartei, commonly known as the golden-bellied starfrontlet, has an overall length of approximately 10.9 cm (4.3 in), which includes a 3.0 cm (1.2 in) long bill.

Weight

Males average 6.6 g (0.23 oz) in weight, while females average 6.4 g (0.23 oz).

Shared Facial Marking

Both sexes have a distinct white spot behind the eye.

Male Crown Coloration

Males have a blackish crown with a glittering green forehead.

Male Upperparts Coloration

Their upper back is a shining dark green, transitioning through greenish copper to a golden orange rump.

Male Throat and Breast Coloration

The throat and breast are glittering green, and the throat bears a small violet patch.

Male Underparts Coloration

The remaining underparts are variable in color, ranging from glittering copper to reddish gold.

Male Tail Characteristics

Their slightly forked tail is golden bronzy green.

Female Upperparts Coloration

Females have a plain green forehead; the rest of their upperparts match the pattern of the male's but are duller in tone.

Female Throat and Breast Coloration

The female's throat is plain buff with green spots along its sides, and the breast is mottled with buff and green.

Female Underparts Coloration

The rest of the female's underparts are mostly cinnamon, with a reddish gold belly and a coppery gold vent area.

Female Tail Characteristics

Female tail feathers are bronze, and sometimes have buff tips.

Geographic Distribution

The golden-bellied starfrontlet is distributed only in the Eastern Andes of Colombia, between Boyacá Department and the Metropolitan Area of Bogotá.

Habitat Preferences

The species primarily lives in the interior and edges of humid montane forest, and it also occurs in dwarf forest and more open landscapes with scattered vegetation.

Elevation Range

It occurs at elevations ranging from 1,400 to 3,200 m (4,600 to 10,500 ft).