Description: The Glowing Puffleg (Eriocnemis vestita) is a fairly small hummingbird species in the family Trochilidae. This hummingbird has a short but deeply forked tail. This is mainly found in Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.
Identification: This is a medium-sized hummingbird, mostly bright green but with an iridescent violet vent, chin patch, blue belly, blackish breast, and distinguished white eye spots. The leg cuffs are white. The female’s chin patch is much reduced, and she has extensive golden speckling on her breast and chin. Moreover, males and females have noticeable large white puffs at the base of their legs, much bigger than Buff-tailed Coronet’s white puffs.
Subspecies: – There are four subspecies: subsp. vestita; subsp. arcosae; subsp. paramillo, in which the violet of the chin extends patchily to the breast; and subsp. smaragdinipectus, which has a lighter green breast. This is a lively territorial bird that defends clumps of flowers, such as Palicourea, and other flowers with short corollas. It usually feeds at low heights and is very quick, making it difficult to track. It may hover or cling when feeding and catch insects while in flight. Although it is rather localized and not especially common, its population is believed to be stable.
Distribution: Subsp. vestita occurs in northwest Venezuela and the eastern Andes in Colombia; subsp. arcosae ranges from south-central Ecuador to northwest Peru. Also, subsp. paramillo occurs in the west and the central Andes in Colombia; subsp. smaragdinipectus occurs in southwest Colombia and Ecuador
Habitat: Glowing Puffleg’s natural habitats are open subtropical or tropical moist montane forest edges, scrubland, grassland; and heavily degraded former forest. Mostly found at 7,400–12,600 ft (2,250–3,850 m).
Diet: The Hummingbirds mainly feed on the nectar of small flowering trees, spiders, insects, shrubs, herbs, and epiphytes.
Size and Length: An average size is about 9.5 to 11 cm (31⁄2–37⁄8 in) from black bill to blue forked tail.
Call/Song/Sounds/Vocalizations: – Similar to other hummingbirds, Glowing Puffleg’s are usually silent, but quite often their sounds (usually call after taking flight) is described as a monotonous, frequent metallic “tsip tsip tsip”.
Nest: Male does not participate in building the nest, selecting the site or raising the chicks. Normally, females build a cup-shaped nest with plant fibers woven, animal hairs, surrounding camouflage in a safe place at shrub, tree, or bushes. The hummingbird nest is mainly found on a low, thin horizontal branch.
Breeding: Usually, the clutch contains two white eggs, incubated by a female, while the male is protecting the territory and the flowers feed on. The chicks are immobile and born blind. The mother pushes the food down with her long bill into the chicks’ throats and their stomachs. Habitually, chicks are fed on for approximately two weeks, then fly out within 20 days.
Weight: The bird’s average weight is about 4.3–5.3 g
Status: The population is stable and considered to be the least concerned.
Other Names:
English: Glowing Puffleg
Russian: Бронзовый эрион
Turkish: Parıldayan pufayak
German: Bronzeschneehöschen
Spanish: Calzadito Reluciente
French: Érione pattue
Italian: Colibrì zampepiumose smagliante
Dutch: Groen Pluimbroekje
Related Article – The Glittering Purple-throated Woodstar
