The Golden-Bellied Starfrontlet (Coeligena bonapartei) is a species of hummingbird

Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...

 found in Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

 and a very small part of Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

.

It averages 11.4 cm (4.5 inches) in length, plus its very long bill (3.3 cm or 1.3 inches), and 6.5 grams in weight. The adult male's crown is blackish with a glittery green patch over the bill

Beak

The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...

 (a "frontlet"). Its back is golden-green with a greenish-copper rump. A rufous-buff patch on the tertial wing feathers

Bird anatomy

Bird anatomy, or the physiological structure of birds' bodies, shows many unique adaptations, mostly aiding flight. Birds have a light skeletal system and light but powerful musculature which, along with circulatory and respiratory systems capable of very high metabolic rates and oxygen supply,...

 is conspicuous in flight. The breast glitters green, as does the throat except for a small violet patch in the center. The belly, copper

Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...

y to reddish gold, glitters intensely. The tail is bronze-green and slightly forked.

The adult female is similar but duller; the green patch over the bill is matte, the throat is plain buff

Buff

Buff may refer to:* Buff , a pale yellow-brown colour* Buff , a multifunctional article of clothing produced by Original Buff, a Catalan company* Buff * A form of Status effect, a temporary beneficial effect in some video games...

, and the breast is buff with many green spots. The female also lacks the tertial patch.

Its habitat

Habitat

* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

 is subtropical or tropical moist montane

Montane

In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...

 forests. It follows a habitual path or "trap-line" with stops at flowering plants such as Bomarea

Bomarea

Bomarea is one of the two major genera in the plant family Alstroemeriaceae. Most occur in the Andes. Several species are occasionally found as garden plants....

, Cavendishia

Cavendishia

Cavendishia is a genus of about 100 species of woody perennial plants, many of which are epiphytic. The genus is native to tropical South America and Central America.-Selected species:*Cavendishia bracteata*Cavendishia complectens...

, Fuchsia

Fuchsia

Fuchsia is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. The first, Fuchsia triphylla, was discovered on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola in 1703 by the French Minim monk and botanist, Charles Plumier...

, Macleonia, Mutisia

Mutisia

Mutisia is a genus of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.- Selected species :* Mutisia acerosa Poepp. ex Less. * Mutisia acuminata Ruiz & Pav. * Mutisia alata Hieron. * Mutisia andersonii Sodiro ex Hieron....

, and Palicouria, whose nectar it feeds on. It also catches

Hawking (birds)

Hawking is a feeding strategy in birds involving catching flying insects in the air. The term usually refers to a technique of sallying out from a perch to snatch an insect and then returning to the same or a different perch...

 insects in flight and glean

Gleaning (birds)

Gleaning is a term for a feeding strategy by birds in which they catch invertebrate prey, mainly arthropods, by plucking them from foliage or the ground, from crevices such as rock faces and under the eaves of houses, or even, as in the case of ticks and lice, from living animals. This behavior is...

s them off plants. In general its behavior is probably similar to that of the Golden-tailed Starfrontlet, which may be a subspecies of this species.

The scientific name commemorates Charles Lucien Bonaparte

Charles Lucien Bonaparte

Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte, 2nd Prince of Canino and Musignano was a French naturalist and ornithologist.-Biography:...

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