Heliangelus amethysticollis (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1838)

Size and Weight

The IOC-defined amethyst-throated sunangel (scientific name Heliangelus amethysticollis (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1838)) is approximately 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weighs 3.8 to 7.7 g (0.13 to 0.27 oz).

Bill Structure

This species has a straight, rather short, black bill.

Nominate Male Upperparts

For the nominate subspecies H. a. amethysticollis, the adult male has shiny dark green upperparts, with a bright green frontlet located just above the bill.

Nominate Male Gorget and Breast

Its throat and upper breast gorget is rosy amethyst, with a narrow black border along the neck and a broader cinnamon band below the gorget. Its lower breast is glittery green, and the rest of its underparts are buff with green discs.

Nominate Male Tail

The central tail feathers are bronze-green, and the outer tail feathers are blue-black.

Nominate Female Plumage

The adult female is similar to the male, but has a rusty throat marked with black flecks.

Immature Plumage

Immature individuals are similar to the adult female.

Subspecies Plumage Variation

Four subspecies of amethyst-throated sunangel are recognized, each with distinct physical features: H. a. laticlavius has a reddish purple gorget, a whitish breastband, and a buffy grayish belly; H. a. decolor has a paler frontlet than the nominate, a deeper violet gorget, a whiter breast band, and a grayer belly; H. a. apurimacensis has a turquoise-green frontlet, a whitish buff breast, and a pale buff belly.

Subspecies Distribution

The four subspecies have separate distributions along the Andes: H. a. laticlavius is found in the Andes of southern Ecuador, extending south to the northern Department of Cajamarca in Peru; H. a. decolor occurs on the eastern slope of the Andes in central Peru, ranging from south of the Marañón River to the Department of Junín; H. a. apurimacensis is located in the valleys of the Apurímac River and upper Urubamba River in the departments of Ayacucho and Cusco, southeastern Peru; H. a. amethysticollis inhabits the eastern slope of the Andes from southern Peru into northwestern Bolivia, reaching as far as Cochabamba Department.

Habitat Preferences

The amethyst-throated sunangel lives in wet and humid montane forest, including cloudforest and elfin forest. Though it can be found at forest edges and in open bushy terrain, it prefers the interior of closed forest.

Elevation Range

Its elevation range mostly falls between 1,800 and 3,200 m (5,900 and 10,500 ft), but it has often been recorded as high as 3,700 m (12,100 ft) in Peru.