Black-eared Fairy (Heliothryx auritus)

Identification & Behavior: ~13.5 cm (5.3 in). The Black-eared Fairy is bright green above and snowy white below It has a black mask across the eye. The three pairs of outer tail feathers are white. It has a black and straight bill. The closely related and very similar Purple-crowned Fairy, which occurs in the humid semi-deciduous forests of extreme northwest Peru in Tumbes. Also, see a male White-necked Jacobin.

Status: The Black-eared Fairy is uncommon to rare in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1300 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Colibrí-Hada de Oreja Negra.

Sub-species: Black-eared Fairy (Heliothryx auritus auritus), J. F. Gmelin, 1788. SE Colombia and E Ecuador through N Brazil (N of Amazon).
(Heliothryx auritus phainolaemus), Gould, 1855. NC Brazil (S of Amazon in Pará and Maranhão).
(Heliothryx auritus auriculatus), Nordmann, 1835. E Peru and C Bolivia to C Brazil (Amazonia S of Amazon E through Mato Grosso to R Tapajós).

Meaning of Name: Heliothryx: Gr. Hēlios= sun and thrix, trikhos= hair. auritus: L. auritus= eared, long-eared.

See more of the Family Trochilidae