White-tailed starfrontlet

The white-tailed starfrontlet (Coeligena phalerata) is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta of northeastern Colombia.^[3][4]

White-tailed starfrontlet
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Clade:	Strisores
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Trochilidae
Genus:	Coeligena
Species:	C. phalerata
Binomial name
Coeligena phalerata (Bangs, 1898)
Synonyms
Leucuria phalerata

Taxonomy and systematics

The white-tailed starfrontlet and most other members of genus Coeligena were at one time placed in genus Helianthea but have been in their current placement since the mid-1900s.^[5] The species is monotypic.^[3]

Description

The white-tailed starfrontlet is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long. Both sexes have a long, straight, black bill, with the female's being somewhat longer than the male's. Both sexes have a white spot behind the eye. Both sexes also have a forked tail, but the male's is more deeply indented than the female's. Adult males have metallic dark green upperparts with a glittering turquoise crown. The entire tail is white, though the feathers when fresh have bronze tips. They have a blue gorget, mostly emerald green underparts, white leg puffs, and white undertail coverts. Adult females have a dusky blue-green crown and shining green upperparts. The tail is bronzy with pale buff tips to the feathers. Its underparts are rufous cinnamon. Immatures are similar to the adult female.^[6]

Distribution and habitat

The white-tailed starfrontlet is found only in northeast Colombia's isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It inhabits humid to wet montane forest; males prefer openings within the forest while females are more often seen at the forest edge. In elevation it ranges between 1,400 and 3,700 m (4,600 and 12,100 ft).^[6]

Behavior

Movement

Nothing is known about the white-tailed starfrontlet's movements, if any.^[6]

Feeding

The white-tailed starfrontlet feeds on nectar. Sources are known to include Fuchsia and bromeliads, though it probably feeds on a wide variety of plants like others of its genus. It is more territorial than other Coeligena but also sometimes feeds by trap-lining. In addition to feeding on nectar it captures small arthropods by gleaning from foliage and by hawking.^[6]

Breeding

The white-tailed starfrontlet's breeding season appears to span from February to April, but nothing else is known about its breeding phenology.^[6]

Songs and calls Listen to white-tailed starfrontlet on xeno-canto

Vocalization

Only a few white-tailed starfrontlet vocalizations have been recorded. It is known to make "a high-pitched chattering 'tsee-tsee-tsi-tsi-tsirrrrr' and lower-pitched short rattles."^[6]

Status

The IUCN originally assessed the white-tailed starfrontlet as being of Least Concern but since 2018 has rated it as Near Threatened. It has a very small range "where it is under threat of habitat loss and fragmentation". Its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing.^[1]