Chestnut-breasted Coronet (Boissonneaua matthewsii)

Identification & Behavior: ~12 cm (5 in). The Chestnut-breasted Coronet has green upperparts and head. The rest of the underparts are chestnut. The tail is buff in color with a dusky and narrow terminal band. The female is a slightly duller version of the male. The bill is black and straight. It forages in the subcanopy and canopy of montane forest. It is similar to the Rainbow Starfrontlet and the Violet-throated starfrontlet, but is distinguished by a smaller size, a rich chestnut breast and belly, and the lack of a gorget and iridescent forehead.

Status: The Chestnut-breasted Coronet is uncommon in montane forests of the east slope of the Andes. It also occur in similar habitat on the west slope of the Andes in Piura and Cajamarca. In general it ranges at elevation between 1500-3300 m. It also occurs in Co and Ec.

Name in Spanish: Colibrí de Pecho Castaño.

Sub-species: Chestnut-breasted Coronet (Boissonneaua matthewsii), Bourcier 1847.

Meaning of Name: Boissonneaua: In honor of Auguste Boissonneau (1802-1883) French ornithologist, natural history dealer, ocularist. matthewsii: In honor of Alexander Mathews (1801-1841) English botanist, collector in Pitcairn I. and French Polynesia 1830, Brazil, Peru and Chile 1831-1841.

See more of the Family Trochilidae