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Fawn-breasted Brilliant | Heliodoxa rubinoides
Bruinborstbriljantkolibrie | Brillante pechianteado | Brilhante-de-peito-ocre
The Fawn-breasted Brilliant is a brilliant of montane forest on both slopes of the Andes, with warm buff underparts. The male has a small, glittering pink to lilac patch on the lower throat. The species feeds in the lower and middle strata of the forest and also visits feeders.
Voice
Series of sharp, metallic tchik notes, often given rapidly in alarm or when defending flowers; also a repeated swee-swee-swee-swoo.
Recording: Carlos Delgado JUMABITA — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
11–13 cm, with a straight black bill and a small white spot behind the eye. The male is bronzy green above, with coppery wing coverts; the underparts are warm cinnamon-buff, with green spotting on the flanks and sides of the throat, and a small, glittering pink to lilac patch on the lower throat. The tail is coppery green and slightly forked. The female is duller, with more green spotting below and a smaller throat patch or none. Juveniles resemble the female, with buff fringes to the head feathers.
Confusion species
Pink-throated Brilliant Heliodoxa gularis also has a pink throat patch, but has green rather than buff underparts and lives lower, in the foothills. Buff-tailed Coronet Boissonneaua flavescens has green underparts and a buff tail and underwings. Chestnut-breasted Coronet Boissonneaua matthewsii has a chestnut breast and belly, but a green throat and a rufous tail.
Habitat
The interior and shaded edges of humid montane forest and cloud forest, also clearings and older secondary growth, between about 1000 and 2600 m, mostly between 1100 and 2200 m. It feeds in the lower and middle strata at flowers and catches small insects. Little is known about its breeding biology.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of the Andes and the west coast.
Range and movements
In Colombia in the Central and Eastern Andes and on the west slope of the Western Andes. In Ecuador on both slopes of the Andes, in the west south to El Oro and Loja. In Peru along the eastern slope of the Andes over most of the country. In Bolivia only in northern Cochabamba. Absent from the Galápagos. Does not occur outside the guide area.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
In cloud forest on the eastern slope in Ecuador and Colombia, at lodge feeders at middle elevations and at flowering shrubs along forest edges.
Conservation status
Least Concern. The species is widespread and tolerates some disturbance, but depends on montane forest.
Scientific name
Heliodoxa rubinoides | (Bourcier & Mulsant, 1846)
Bourcier & Mulsant described the species in 1846 as Trochilus rubinoides; because it was later moved to another genus, the author and year stand in brackets. The genus Heliodoxa was introduced in 1850 by Gould. The genus name combines Greek hēlios, 'sun', with doxa, 'glory' or 'splendour'. The species name combines Medieval Latin rubinus, 'ruby', with Greek -oidēs, 'resembling'. The specimen the first description was based on came from Colombia.