Tourmaline Sunangel

Heliangelus exortis (Fraser, 1840)

Tourmaline Sunangel, Heliangelus exortis, is a hummingbird of Colombia and north-west Ecuador, breeding in the Andes of both countries. It is a member of the family Trochilidae and was first described by Fraser in 1840. The species is mainly tied to humid premontane forest, especially cloudforest and elfin forest, and also uses bushy clearings and shrubby pasture. It is a largely sedentary bird. Males show a glittering green frontlet, a dark purple-blue chin and a rosy pink throat patch edged with emerald green, while females lack the frontlet and have a paler throat.

Order

Apodiformes

Family

Trochilidae — Hummingbirds

Breeding range

South America: Colombia and nw Ecuador