Flame-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus micraster)

[order] APODIFORMES | [family] Trochilidae | [latin] Heliangelus micraster | [UK] Flame-throated Sunangel | [FR] Heliange menu | [DE] Goldkehl-Sonnennymphe | [ES] Angel del Sol Bronceado | [NL] Zonnekolibrie

Dark, straight bill. Male upperparts dark metallic green with a glittering green front. Dark metallic green below with a blueish chin. Yellow orange gorget bordered by shiny green. Belly greyish changing to white towards the forked tail. Undertail white, uppertail dark steel blue. Female black chin and white trhoat spotted with green discs.

South America : Ecuador, Peru

Dense mossy forest and forest borders. Found at elevations between 2300 and 3400m.

Little information, clutch size 2 eggs.

Usually found foraging along forest bordes at lower hights. Male defends foraging territory. Principal food is nectar with insects which are gleaned from foliage or caught in the air.

Although this species may have a small range, it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Presumed sedentary allthough latitudinal movemnts are made.