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Gould's Jewelfront | Heliodoxa aurescens
Goulds juweelkolibrie | Brillante frentijoya | Beija-flor-estrela
Gould's Jewelfront is a brilliant of the Amazonian lowlands, recognised by the broad rufous band across the breast. The male has a glittering violet-blue patch on the forehead, the 'jewel front' of its name. The species lives in the lower strata of the forest and flies regular routes between flowering plants.
Voice
High, thin tsip calls, singly or in short series; poorly described.
Recording: Sidnei Dantas — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
12–13 cm, with a straight black bill and a small white spot behind the eye. The male is dark green above, with a glittering violet-blue forehead patch, a glittering green throat and a broad orange-rufous band across the breast; the belly is green. The tail is mostly rufous, with bronzy green central feathers. The female resembles the male, but lacks the forehead patch and has a duller throat; she also has the rufous breast band and tail.
Confusion species
Black-throated Brilliant Heliodoxa schreibersii is larger and darker, with a black throat, a long, deeply forked black tail and no rufous breast band. Rufous-webbed Brilliant Heliodoxa branickii lives higher in the foothills, has rufous inner webs to the flight feathers and a dark tail. Fork-tailed Woodnymph Thalurania furcata has a violet belly and a forked blue-black tail in the male, with no rufous on breast or tail.
Habitat
The interior and edges of humid terra firme lowland forest, also várzea and the lower foothills, up to about 1000 m. It feeds in the lower strata at flowers such as heliconias, often along a regular route, 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 Amazonian lowlands of the south-east. In Ecuador in the lowlands and foothills east of the Andes. In Peru in the Amazonian lowlands over much of the east. In Bolivia in the lowlands of the north. Absent from the Galápagos. Outside the guide area in southern Venezuela and western Brazil.
- Resident
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
Along trails in the interior of terra firme forest in the Amazonian lowlands, at flowering heliconias and other understorey flowers. Waiting at a group of flowering plants often works best, as the bird returns along the same route.
Conservation status
Least Concern. The species is widespread but not numerous; deforestation affects its habitat locally.
Scientific name
Heliodoxa aurescens | (Gould, 1846)
Gould described the species in 1846 as Trochilus (Lampornis) aurescens; 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 is Latin aurescens, 'becoming golden', from aurum, 'gold'. The specimen the first description was based on came from Eastern Peru.