The rufous-gaped hillstar has a long, straight black bill, coppery green upperparts, an iridescent blue throat and breast, a rufous-cinnamon streak on the face (which gives it its name), central and outermost tail feathers that are black and the rest are white with gray edges. Males and females are similar.
It is found on the lower Pacific slopes of the Andes of southwestern Colombia (from the Choco Department) to northwestern Ecuador (to the Pichincha Province).
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| Rufous-gaped hillstar range from Wikipedia. |
I saw a number of them at Montezuma Rainforest Lodge in Colombia.
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| Not in focus, but the photo that best catches its color. |
What an interesting name. I wonder where the "hillstar" part comes from. And what an impressive beak for a little bird.
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