Colorful Puffleg

The Blue abdominal panties Hummingbird ( Eriocnemis mirabilis ), also called Colorful wool pants, is a rare hummingbird from the kind of wool panties. It is endemic in the region of Cauca in Colombia.

Description

The Blue abdominal panties Hummingbird reaches a length of 8 centimeters. The male is iridescent dark green on the upper side. The forehead is emerald green. Behind the eyes runs a white spot. The tail is colored yellow-olive on the upper side dark bronzeoliv and at the bottom. Throat and sides of neck are iridescent blue-green. The belly is purple and shows reddish spots. The coverts are ruby and golden shimmer. On the legs are white dunige plumes. In females, top and sides are dark green. The center of the throat and chest are white and characterized by patches of green. The underside is reddish bronze with white spots. The tail is bronze-green with blue-black seams and white spots on the under tail-coverts.

Dissemination

The Blue abdominal panties hummingbird is known only from the vicinity of Cerro Charguayaco northeast of Cerro Munchique on the western slope of the Andes in southwestern Cauca in Colombia. Here, the hummingbird has a highly limited breeding area of 3 km ² at an altitude 2220-2240 m.

Way of life

Over the life of the species is so far only little is known. Previous studies have shown that preferred the blue abdominal panties hummingbird tree levels humid mountain forests of underbrush until about 5 m height. In its area of ​​distribution, several other hummingbird species occur, with whom he is in competition for food. Its diet consists of fruits of lulo plant as well as from the nectar of genres such as Thibaudia, Besleria and Disterigma. Probably occupied the blue abdominal panties Hummingbird within its already very small distribution area a very close ecological niche.

The nest consists of one or two eggs, which are incubated for 14 to 15 days.

Status

The Blue abdominal panties Hummingbird is very rare. The organization BirdLife International currently assumes that a stock of less than 250 copies and therefore classified the species in the category of " critically endangered " one. The Blue abdominal panties Hummingbird was 1967-1997 known only from four specimens that were caught and photographed in 1967 by John Dunning and Kjell from Sneidern. In 1997, the species was rediscovered in the terra typica. In the 1970s, the local economy was based in the province of Cauca on the Lulofrucht harvest. In the 1980s, however, the lulo plants fell victim to a fungal infection and the area has been heavily deforested. The Cerro Charguayaco and the Cerro Munchique are part of the Munchique National Park. A replanting of Lulopflanzen is supported by the conservation authority to preserve the blue - belly panties Hummingbird from extinction.