Rainbow Starfrontlet Coeligena iris Scientific name definitions

Rainbow Starfrontlets often engage in aerial chases above the forest canopy, making a high-pitched chatter as they go after one another. When in normal flight, they vocalize with sharp tzips. The glittering, rainbow forehead of males can vary considerably in color, making the extensive chestnut of both sexes, long bill, and large size more diagnostic. Notable color variation also exists among the six subspecies. These starfrontlets frequent both humid and dry cloud forests, gardens, and scrubby areas, often foraging between 2 and 4 meters off the ground. Although considered locally common, these hummingbirds are potentially vulnerable because of their restricted range in middle-upper elevations from southern Ecuador to northern Peru. They are usually found at lower elevations than Buff-winged Starfrontlets in areas where the two species overlap.

12·5–15 cm; male 6·7–8·8 g, female 6–8·1 g (1 King, J. R. (1991). Body weights of some Ecuadorean birds. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 111(1):46–49. Close ). Male has long, straight, black bill; head black with fiery glittering yellowish-green forecrown passing though golden-yellow to blue, postocular spot white, upper­parts blackish with slight green sheen, lower upperparts chestnut; throat glittering emerald-green with small violet gular spot, lower underparts and undertail-coverts chestnut; tail forked, uniform chestnut. Female similar to male, bill longer and overall coloration less metallic; tail less forked. Juvenile similar to adult female. Male of race hesperus has crown dark golden-red with blue central stripe, back golden-green, underparts green with small violet gular patch, tail chestnut with bronzy tips, female similar but duller on hindcrown and underparts; male aurora has turquoise crown with golden feather tips, hindneck black, rest of upperparts uniform light chestnut, chin and throat turquoise, rest of underparts uniform light chestnut, female similar but with less “fiery” coloration; flagrans similar to nominate, hindneck and back coppery, hindcrown tinged red; fulgidiceps also like nominate, with neck and upper mantle blackish, generally darker chestnut; male eva has forecrown yellowish green, central crown dark violet, hindneck and back coppery, chin, throat and breast emerald-green, lacking violet gular patch, rest of underparts chestnut, female similar but with coppery green head, underparts lighter than male.

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.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Edges of humid and drier cloudforest, gardens and riparian scrub, at 1700–3300 m; recorded at c. 4,000 m in Huascarán NP, Peru (2 Sevillano Ríos, C.S. (2012). Rainbow Starfrontlet Coeligena iris in Huascarán National Park, Ancash, Peru. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. 132(3): 207–209. Close ). Forages low down, at 2–4 m above ground.

Presumably sedentary.

Feeds on nectar at a great variety of flowers, including Embothrium, Fuchsia, Iochroma, Mutisia, Salvia, Siphocam­pylos giganteus and Tilandsia by trap-lining; sometimes recorded at introduced Eucalyptus trees. Insects are caught in the air by hawking.

A thin, wiry chatter, rising and falling, with rattles and squeaky notes, often emitted during high-speed aerial chases. Also a single “tsit” or “tip”.

Nov–Jan. Cup-shaped nest is constructed of moss, lichens and some small twigs, lined with soft plant material like fibres from bromeliad seeds, placed in fork of small branch. No further information.

Not globally threatened. CITES II. Restricted-range species: present in Southern Central Andes EBA. Locally common but may be vulnerable due to very restricted range. Natural habitat under threat of deforestation and heavily fragmented. This species seems to accept man-made habitats to some extent, particularly flowering gardens and park-like landscapes. In Ecuador, occurs in Las Cajas National Recreation Area and North Podocarpus National Park.