Little Sunangel (Heliangelus micraster)

Identification & Behavior: ~11 cm (4.3 in). The male Little Sunangel (AKA Flame-throated Sunangel) is dark green with a small post-ocular white spot and green iridescent frontlet or forehead. The gorget in iridescent orange. The gorget in the female is iridescent orange on the bottom half and whitish on the upper half and throat. The underparts are grayish-green. The tail is dark and notched. The undertail coverts are white. The small size and iridescent orange gorget are diagnostic but see Amethyst-throated Sunangel.

Status: The Little Sunangel is fairly common on the east slope of the Andes, on the north and west side of the upper Marañon Valley. It occurs at elevations ranging between 2200-3000 m. The little Sunangel also occurs in Ec.

Name in Spanish: Angel-del-Sol Chico.

Sub-species: Little Sunangel (Heliangelus micraster micraster), Gould, 1872. E Andean slope of SE Ecuador (S from Morona-Santiago) and adjacent N Peru.
(Heliangelus micraster cutervensis), (Simon), 1921. NW Peru (Cajamarca).

Meaning of Name: Heliangelus: Gr. Hēlios= sun, angelos= angel. micraster: Gr. Mikros= small and aster, asteros= star.

See more of the Family Trochilidae