Hoary puffleg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hoary puffleg |
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Haplophaedia
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lugens
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The hoary puffleg (Haplophaedia lugens) is a small, colorful hummingbird. It belongs to a group of hummingbirds called "brilliants." You can find this special bird in the countries of Colombia and Ecuador in South America.
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About the Hoary Puffleg
The hoary puffleg is a unique type of bird. It is the only species in its group, which means it doesn't have any close relatives that are also called "pufflegs."
What Does It Look Like?
This hummingbird is about 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long. That's about the length of your hand! It weighs around 5 to 6 g (0.18 to 0.21 oz), which is super light. It has a straight, black beak.
Male hoary pufflegs have shiny bronze-green feathers on their backs. Their heads and rumps (the area above their tails) have a coppery shine. Their chests and bellies are dark gray. They might look a bit scaly on their throats and chests. The sides of their bodies have a green shimmer.
One of the coolest things about these birds is their "leg puffs." These are fluffy feathers around their legs. In males, the outside of these puffs is white, and the inside is chestnut brown. Their tails are slightly forked and look blackish.
Female hoary pufflegs look similar to males but are not as bright. Their leg puffs are completely white. Young birds look a lot like the females.
Where Does It Live?
The hoary puffleg lives in a specific area along the Andes mountains. This area is on the Pacific side of the mountains. You can find them from southwestern Colombia down into Ecuador. They live as far south as a place called Pichincha Province.
These birds love to live in cloudforests. They also hang out at the edges of other tropical forests and in scrublands. They usually stay hidden in low, thick plants, often near streams. In Colombia, they are found at heights between 1,200 and 2,000 m (3,900 and 6,600 ft) above sea level. Sometimes, they are even seen as high as 2,500 m (8,200 ft). In Ecuador, they live at elevations from 1,525 to 2,100 m (5,000 to 6,900 ft).
How Does It Behave?
Staying Put
The hoary puffleg does not migrate. It stays in the same area all year round. This means it is a "resident" bird in its habitat.
What's on the Menu?
Hoary pufflegs mainly eat nectar from flowers. They usually look for nectar close to the ground. Sometimes, they will fly up to the tops of trees to find food. These birds are very protective of their favorite flower patches. They will defend them from other birds!
They often feed on flowers that have short, tube-like shapes. Some of these flowers come from plants like Besleria, Palicourea, and Thibaudia. Besides nectar, they also eat insects. They pick these tiny bugs off leaves.
Reproduction and Nests
Scientists are still learning about when hoary pufflegs breed. However, nests have been seen in May and August. The nest is shaped like a hanging cup or a ball. It is made from moss and spiderwebs. The bird attaches its nest to the underside of a large leaf, like a fern. This leaf acts like a roof, keeping the nest safe from rain. Nests are usually built about 0.5 to 2 m (2 to 7 ft) above the ground.
The female bird lays two white eggs. She sits on them for 15 to 17 days to keep them warm. This is called incubation. After the chicks hatch, they stay in the nest for 20 to 24 days before they are ready to fly.
What Does It Sound Like?
The hoary puffleg has a unique call. It makes a sharp, single sound like "tzik." Sometimes, it makes a double sound like "tsi-tsik." It repeats these sounds every now and then. You can hear this call when the bird is sitting on a branch or when it is flying.
Is It in Danger?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) keeps track of how safe different animal species are. They used to say the hoary puffleg was "Threatened." But since 2004, they have changed its status to "Near Threatened." This means it's not in immediate danger, but it could become threatened soon.
The hoary puffleg lives in a very small area. We don't know exactly how many of these birds there are. However, experts believe their numbers are going down. They live in a few protected areas, but their homes are quickly disappearing. This is because many forests are being cut down.
