Golden-bellied starfrontlet

Photo by Alberto Schu (Digital Photography Review)

Common name:
golden-bellied starfrontlet (en); beija-flor-de-barriga-dourada (pt); inca de Bonaparte (fr); inca ventridorado (es); goldbauchmusketier (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Trochilidae

Range:
This species is found in northern Colombia and western Venezuela, along the Andes and in Sierra de Perija.

Size:
These birds are 11-14 cm long and weigh 6-7 g.

Habitat:
The golden-bellied starfrontlet is found in mountain rainforests and high-altitude tropical scrublands, at altitudes of 1.400-3.200 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on the nectar of flowering plants, such as Bomarea, Cavendishia, Fuchsia, Macleania, Mutisia and Palicourea, but also hunt some insects and other small arthropods.

Breeding:
These birds are polygynous, with males mating with multiple females and having no further part in the breeding process. Each female builds the nest alone, where she lays 2 white eggs. She incubates the eggs alone for 16-19 days and then raises the chicks alone until fledging. There is no information regarding the length of the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status – LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large but patchy breeding range. The global population size has not been quantified, but the golden-bellied starfrontlet is described as uncommon. The population is suspected to be declining owing to habitat loss caused by illegal roads and settlements and illegal mineral exploitation.