Tourmaline sunangel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tourmaline sunangel |
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| male in Colombia | |
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| female in Ecuador | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Genus: | Heliangelus |
| Species: |
H. exortis
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| Binomial name | |
| Heliangelus exortis (Fraser, 1840)
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The tourmaline sunangel (Heliangelus exortis) is a beautiful type of hummingbird. It is found high in the mountains of Colombia and Ecuador. These tiny birds are known for their bright, sparkling colors.
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About the Tourmaline Sunangel
The tourmaline sunangel is a special kind of hummingbird. It belongs to a group of hummingbirds called "coquettes." This bird was first described in 1840 by a scientist named Louis Fraser.
What Does It Look Like?
The tourmaline sunangel is a small bird, about 10 to 11 centimeters (4 to 4.3 inches) long. Males are a bit heavier than females. Their beaks are black and straight.
Both male and female sunangels have dark, shiny green feathers on their backs. Their bellies are dusky gray with round green spots. The middle feathers of their tails are dark bronze, and the other tail feathers are blackish.
Adult males are very colorful. They have a sparkling green patch just above their beak. Their chin is a dark purple-blue. They also have a bright, rosy pink patch on their throat, called a gorget. This gorget has a sparkling emerald green border.
Adult females look a little different. They do not have the green patch above their beak. Their chin is blackish. Their throat is whitish with green or dusky speckles. Sometimes, females might have a few sparkling rosy feathers on their throat too. Young birds look similar to the adult female. However, young males have a white chin.
Where Does It Live?
The tourmaline sunangel lives in the Andes mountains. These mountains stretch through Colombia and into Ecuador. You can find them on the eastern side of Ecuador's Morona-Santiago Province.
These hummingbirds prefer to live inside and at the edges of wet, humid forests. They especially like cloudforests and elfin forests. They can also be seen in bushy clearings and shrubby pastures. They usually live at high elevations, between 2,300 and 3,400 meters (7,500 to 11,200 feet) above sea level. Sometimes, they are found as low as 1,500 meters (4,900 feet).
How Does It Behave?
The tourmaline sunangel usually stays in one area. It does not travel far from its home. However, in Colombia, it sometimes moves to warmer, tropical areas.
What Does It Eat?
These hummingbirds are very protective of their feeding spots. They will chase away other birds that try to eat their food. They drink nectar from many different types of flowering plants. They often choose flowers that are low to the ground. They find these flowers both in open areas and deep within the forest.
Unlike some hummingbirds that hover, the tourmaline sunangel often clings to flowers while it feeds. Besides nectar, they also eat insects. They catch insects by flying out from a perch to snatch them in the air. They also pick insects off plants.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The tourmaline sunangel's breeding season seems to be from March to August. The female bird lays two white eggs. She is the one who sits on the eggs to keep them warm until they hatch. Scientists do not know much else about how these birds raise their young.
What Sounds Does It Make?
The song of the tourmaline sunangel is a repeated series of single notes. It usually starts with a few high-pitched, rising notes. Then, it follows with a slightly lower-pitched, falling note. It sounds like "suwee....suwee..tsew...suwee...tsew..."
Its call is a short, dry, gravelly sound, like "trrr." It repeats this sound every now and then. It also makes a continuous dry chattering noise.
Is It in Danger?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has looked at the tourmaline sunangel. They have decided that it is a species of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
We do not know exactly how many tourmaline sunangels there are. However, their numbers seem to be stable. This bird is quite common in some areas. It also lives in several protected areas, which helps keep its population safe.
 | Selma Burke |
 | Pauline Powell Burns |
 | Frederick J. Brown |
 | Robert Blackburn |
