Fawn-breasted brilliant

Heliodoxa rubinoides

Photo by Larry Thompson (Discover Life)

Common name:
fawn-breasted brilliant (en); beija-flor-brilhante-fulvo (pt); brilliant rubinoïde (fr); brillante pechigamuza (es); braunbauch-brilliantkolibri (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Trochilidae

Range:
This species is found in both the eastern and western slopes of the Andes, in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and northern Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 11 cm long and weigh 8 g.

Habitat:
The fawn-breasted brilliant is mostly found in mountain rainforests, but also in lowland rainforests, pastures, rural gardens and even within urban areas. They are present at altitudes of 1.700-2.700 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on the nectar of highly scented, brightly coloured flowers, but will also hunt small spiders and insects.

Breeding:
The fawn-breasted brilliant is polygynous, with the males having no further part in the breeding process after mating. The breed in January-May. The female builds a small cup-shaped nest using plant fibres and moss, which is lined with softer materials and placed in a scrub or tree. There she lays 2 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 12 days. The chicks are fed and brooded by the female and fledge 20 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as uncommon and patchily distributed. It is not considered threatened at present.