Violet-throated Starfrontlet Coeligena violifer Scientific name definitions
Text last updated January 25, 2015
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Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Catalan | colibrí inca de Bolívia |
| Czech | inka fialkovohrdlý |
| Dutch | Violetkeelincakolibrie |
| English | Violet-throated Starfrontlet |
| English (United States) | Violet-throated Starfrontlet |
| French | Inca violifère |
| French (France) | Inca violifère |
| German | Veilchenkehlkolibri |
| Japanese | ルリノドインカハチドリ |
| Norwegian | fiolettstrupeinka |
| Polish | elfik płowy |
| Russian | Фиолетовогорлый инка |
| Serbian | Ljubičastogrli zvezdočeli kolibri |
| Slovak | ink orgovánový |
| Spanish | Inca Boliviano |
| Spanish (Peru) | Inca de Garganta Violeta |
| Spanish (Spain) | Inca boliviano |
| Swedish | violettstrupig inka |
| Turkish | Mor Gerdanlı Parlakalın |
| Ukrainian | Колібрі-інка фіолетовий |
Coeligena violifer (Gould, 1846)
Definitions
- COELIGENA
- coeligena / coeligenus
- violifer
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Originally Appeared in
Introduction
Taxonomic note: Lump. This account is a combination of multiple species accounts originally published in HBW Alive. That content has been combined and labeled here at the subspecies level. Moving forward we will create a more unified account for this parent taxon. Please consider contributing your expertise to update this account.
Violet-throated Starfrontlets have buffy bellies and copper on the upper wing. Most subspecies have an orangeish-buff tail, but C. v. albicaudata of southern Peru has a more whitish tail. They inhabit edges of cloud and elfin forests, neighboring shrub, clearings, and second growth. During some parts of the year, males and females tend to inhabit different altitudes in some areas. When males display, they fly in pendula-like arcs above females.
Field Identification
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Huanuco)
13–14·5 cm; male 4–10 g, mean (9·2 g), female 7·9 g. Previously considered to be conspecific with <em>C. violifer</em> (see Taxonomy comments). Male has long, straight, black bill (3·9–4·5 cm); forehead emerald-green with bluish-green frontlet, throat patch more bluish, indication of whitish band across breast, tail has broad bronzy terminal band. Female is similar but lacks the frontlet and gular patch. Juvenile presumably like adult female. Significantly heavier than all other taxa within the C. violifer species complex.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Apurimac)
13–14·5 cm; 6–12 g. Previously considered to be conspecific with C. violifer (see Taxonomy comments). Male has long, straight, black bill (3·6–4·1 cm); head bottle-green, forehead with basal patch of iridescent turquoise, lores black, back shiny golden-copper, chin moss-green, throat patch violet, breast moss-green, belly golden-green, undertail-coverts tan with pale buff fringes; outer rectrices whitish, distally faded green forming small contrasting band (c. 11 mm) and central rectrices dark faded green. Wing blackish, wing-coverts copper-green.. Female similar to C. violifer but with same tail coloration as male; chin has large green discs with blackish fringes, breast darkish green, belly shiny golden-green (pale green disks fringed beige), outer rectrices whitish beige with faded green distal band, and fringed gray to beige. Juvenile like adult female, but has head and hindneck feathers fringed maroon, disappearing with age, and outer rectrices beige-brown, becoming white in birds of increasing maturity.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Cuzco)
13–14·5 cm; male 5–11 g, female 5–7 g. Previously considered to be conspecific with <em>C. violifer</em> (see Taxonomy comments). Long, straight, black bill (3·8–4·4 cm). Male has frontlet intense greenish turquoise, crown dark shining green, gular spot variable, somewhat intermediate between C. violifer and C. dichroura, lower underparts and undertail-coverts pale cinnamon, and tail is like C. dichroura, but with less extensive bronzy terminal band. Female lacks frontlet and throat patch. Juvenile is like adult female.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Bolivian)
13–14·5 cm; male 8–13 g, female 4–6 g. Male has long, straight, black bill (3·6–4 cm); head blackish blue, postocular spot white, back shining bronzy green; throat and breast green with iridescent violet gular spot , thin greyish band across upper breast, lower breast green contrasting with cinnamon belly and undertail-coverts; tail forked, uniform orange-buff with small bronzy tips. Female similar to male, bill longer (3·9–4·1 cm); head green; throat buff with green discs, breast marked darkish green becoming rich cinnamon on belly; tail less forked. Juvenile resembles adult female.
Systematics History
Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Huanuco)
Probably closely related to C. lutetiae, C. bonapartei, C. eos and C. helianthea. Hitherto considered one of four subspecies of C. violifer, but differs from all others in having green frontlet set in dull green lores and forecrown vs differently coloured or plain frontlet set in velvety-black lores and forecrown (3); dark brown central tail feathers, with other rectrices pale rufous with very broad dark brown tips, forming highly distinctive pattern (3); vague, indistinct white line across breast each side of glittering green vs clear thin white line that halts glittering green in violifer and no line in other taxa (1); larger size (effect size for wing 3.76; score 2). Monotypic.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Apurimac)
Probably closely related to C. lutetiae, C. bonapartei, C. eos and C. helianthea. Hitherto considered one of four races of C. violifer, but differs from others in white vs rufous in tail (3); steel-blue vs green or turquoise frons (2); and female’s distinctly whitish (albeit green-spotted) throat and whitish belly (2). Monotypic.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Cuzco)
Probably closely related to C. lutetiae, C. bonapartei, C. eos and C. helianthea. Hitherto considered one of four subspecies of C. violifer, but differs from all others by virtue of the various distinctions listed under those taxa, thus from dichroura separated by its turquoise-blue frons set in velvety-black lores and forecrown vs green front in dull green surround (3), tail similar but with much-reduced tips (2), no white breastline (1) and slightly smaller size (1); from albicaudata by its rufous vs white tail (3), turquoise-blue vs steel-blue frons (2) and mainly greenish vs whitish throat and belly in female (2); from violifer by its glittering vs plain frons (2), smaller throat patch with more extensive glittering green surround on breast (2) and paler rufous belly and tail with darker central rectrices and broader dark tips (3). Monotypic.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Bolivian)
Probably close to C. lutetiae, C. bonapartei, C. eos and C. helianthea. Hitherto lumped with C. dichroura, C. albicaudata and C. osculans (which see for diagnoses); distinctiveness of violifer upheld by its lack of glittering frons (2); violet throat patch relatively large inside greatly reduced green breast patch, scarcely glittering, bounded by thin but distinct white line (3); strong rufous belly and almost entirely rufous tail vs either (a) green-white or green-buff belly and pale rufous or white tail with broad tips (dichroura, albicaudata) or (b) pale rufous belly, pale rufous outer tail with darker rufous central feathers and broad dark tips (osculans) (3). Monotypic.Subspecies
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Huanuco) Coeligena violifer dichroura Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Coeligena violifer dichroura (Taczanowski, 1874)
Definitions
- COELIGENA
- coeligena / coeligenus
- violifer
- dichroura / dichrourus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Apurimac) Coeligena violifer albicaudata Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Coeligena violifer albicaudata Schuchmann & Züchner, 1998
Definitions
- COELIGENA
- coeligena / coeligenus
- violifer
- albicaudata / albicaudatus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Cuzco) Coeligena violifer osculans Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Coeligena violifer osculans (Gould, 1871)
Definitions
- COELIGENA
- coeligena / coeligenus
- violifer
- osculans
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Bolivian) Coeligena violifer violifer Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Coeligena violifer violifer (Gould, 1846)
Definitions
- COELIGENA
- coeligena / coeligenus
- violifer
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Huanuco)
E slope of Andes of N & C Peru (S to Junín); relict population in W Peru (Lima).
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Apurimac)
Apurímac drainage, in NE Ayacucho, N Apurímac and SW Cuzco (S Peru).
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Cuzco)
E Andes of SE Peru (SE of Urubamba).
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Bolivian)
E Andes slope in CW Bolivia (La Paz to W Santa Cruz).
Habitat
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Huanuco)
Edges and clearings of cloudforest and elfin forest, sometimes in second growth, at 1900–3700 m.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Apurimac)
Inhabits understorey of elfin forests at 2250–3600 m.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Cuzco)
Edges and clearings of cloudforest and elfin forest, sometimes in second growth, at 2000–3700 m.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Bolivian)
Edges and clearings of cloudforest and elfin forest, sometimes in second growth, at 1300–3700 m, commonest at 2800–3300 m.Migration Overview
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Huanuco)
Wide altitudinal range and only occasional occurrence below 2800 m suggest some seasonal dispersal over different elevations, possibly following flowering season. In certain months (Oct–Dec, Tamiapampa, N Peru) altitudinal separation between males and females has been observed.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Apurimac)
No information.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Cuzco)
Wide altitudinal range and only occasional occurrence below 2800 m suggest some seasonal dispersal over different elevations, possibly following flowering season.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Bolivian)
Wide altitudinal range and only occasional occurrence below 2800 m suggest some seasonal dispersal over different elevations, possibly following flowering season.Diet and Foraging
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Huanuco)
Presumably similar to C. violifer, but no specific information.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Apurimac)
Presumably similar to C. violifer, but no specific information.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Cuzco)
Presumably similar to C. violifer, but no specific information.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Bolivian)
Nectar of flowering Vrisea, Fuchsia and Bomarea. Arthropods are caught by gleaning or hawking. Feeds by trap-lining low down along periphery of vegetation, occasionally inside forests along trails.Sounds and Vocal Behavior
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Huanuco)
A long series of single “tchit” notes given at a rate of c. 1·6 notes/second. Also a jerky mix of squeaky notes and rattles, often in flight.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Apurimac)
Presumed song is a repeated, squeaky, rhythmic phrase, “wet-tsee-tser”, alternating with high-pitched notes, and rather similar to C. osculans.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Cuzco)
Presumed song a characteristic, repeated, strident rhythmic phrase, “wet-tsee-tser”, alternating with high-pitched squeaky chatters. Also a short single note, “wet”, like the first note of the song, and a buzzing rattle.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Bolivian)
Presumed song is a mellow drawn-out whistle followed by three nasal notes “drreeeuw…nyeh-nyeh-nyeh”. Also single or double notes that sound very sweet and mellow.
Breeding
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Huanuco)
No data.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Apurimac)
Season apparently starts in Jul–Aug.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Cuzco)
No data.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Bolivian)
Nov–Jan. No further information available.Conservation Status
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Huanuco)
Not globally threatened. CITES II. Habitat partially under threat of deforestation and population is suspected to be declining; species has not been recorded in man-made habitats, but since it inhabits open forest and clearings, it may accept these disturbed areas to some extent.Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Apurimac)
Not globally threatened. CITES II. Overall range estimated at 47,000 km². Habitat partially under threat of deforestation and species is suspected to be declining; species has not been recorded in man-made habitats, but since it inhabits open forest and clearings, it may accept these disturbed areas to some extent.
Violet-throated Starfrontlet (Cuzco)
Not globally threatened. CITES II. Overall range has been estimated at 36,300 km². Habitat partially under threat of deforestation and species is suspected to be declining as a result; species has not been recorded in man-made habitats, but since it inhabits open forest and clearings, it may accept these disturbed areas to some extent.
