Introduction
The Coppery-bellied Puffleg (Eriocnemis cupreoventris) is a small Andean hummingbird of the family Trochilidae. It is recognised for its shimmering green plumage, copper-coloured belly and conspicuous white feather tufts around the legs. The species occurs in the eastern Andes of Colombia and north-western Venezuela.
Physical Description
The Coppery-bellied Puffleg measures about 9–10 cm in length. Adults have a straight black bill, shining green upperparts, bluish-green uppertail coverts and a blue-black, slightly forked tail. The throat, breast and flanks are iridescent green, becoming golden copper or bronze across the centre of the belly. The undertail coverts show a contrasting violet sheen, and the legs are surrounded by distinctive white feather puffs.
Males are generally more strongly coloured, especially on the throat and belly. Females are similar but usually have paler, greyish markings on the throat and a less intense coppery belly. Juveniles are duller, with darker or blackish markings on the breast and little or no copper colour on the belly. The species is monotypic, although individuals can vary in the strength and extent of their bronze and green plumage.
Range and Habitat
The species is found in the eastern Andes of Colombia, extending southwards to Cundinamarca, and in the Andes of north-western Venezuela, particularly Mérida. It is a near-endemic of the northern Andes and is not regarded as a long-distance migrant, although local or altitudinal movements may occur as birds respond to flowering conditions.
It generally occupies open or semi-open highland habitats rather than dense, unbroken forest. Suitable areas include montane-forest edges, elfin woodland, shrubby slopes, páramo margins and scattered bushes between approximately 1,950 and 3,200 metres. It may also enter humid montane forest where flowering plants are available.
Habitat quality is influenced by the continuity of native shrubs and flowering plants. Agricultural expansion, grazing, burning, road development and the gradual fragmentation of high-elevation vegetation can reduce the amount of suitable habitat, even where some forest remains.
Where to See This Species
Chingaza National Natural Park, Cundinamarca and Meta, Colombia
The Coppery-bellied Puffleg is documented from Chingaza and its surrounding high-Andean landscapes. Look along forest edges, shrub-covered slopes and páramo margins where native flowering plants are present. The species can be local, so quiet observation around flowering vegetation is more productive than searching open ground indiscriminately.
Nearby accommodation: Guasca, La Calera and Fómeque provide practical bases with guest houses, small hotels, rural lodgings and self-catering accommodation. Access arrangements and park entry conditions should be checked before travelling.
Iguaque Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, Boyacá, Colombia
The species is recorded among the sanctuary’s highland hummingbird community. Its preferred combination of montane woodland edges, shrubby vegetation and páramo habitat occurs across parts of the sanctuary, particularly where flowering plants are concentrated.
Nearby accommodation: Villa de Leyva is the main gateway, with hotels, guest houses, rural lodgings and self-catering accommodation. Smaller accommodation options are also available in nearby rural communities.
Sumapaz National Natural Park, Bogotá and Cundinamarca, Colombia
Sumapaz supports suitable páramo and high-Andean shrub habitats, and the Coppery-bellied Puffleg is included in the park’s documented bird fauna. Search sheltered vegetation around páramo edges and transitional areas rather than the most exposed, treeless sections.
Nearby accommodation: Bogotá is the most practical accommodation base, offering hotels, guest houses and self-catering accommodation. Rural lodging may also be available around the park’s access areas, subject to local arrangements and park restrictions.
Behaviour and Diet
The Coppery-bellied Puffleg is active during the day and feeds mainly on nectar. Its bill and extensible tongue allow it to exploit flowers with relatively deep corollas, including plants in the heath and melastome families. Important nectar sources reported for the species include Cavendishia, Palicourea and Pernettya.
Like other hummingbirds, it can hover while feeding and may defend profitable flowers or feeding patches from other hummingbirds. It also takes small insects and other arthropods, probably providing essential protein, particularly during periods when nectar is less abundant. Insects may be captured from a perch or taken during short aerial sallies.
Detailed information on the species’ breeding season, nest placement and chick development is limited. As with other pufflegs, the female is expected to undertake most or all nest construction, incubation and chick care, but species-specific observations should be treated cautiously.
Identification Tips
- Look for a small hummingbird with brilliant green upperparts and a strongly contrasting copper or bronze centre to the belly.
- The white feather puffs around the legs are conspicuous at close range and help distinguish it from many other Andean hummingbirds.
- The violet undertail coverts, blue-black tail and emerald-green throat are useful supporting features.
- Females may appear less brilliant, with paler throat markings and a weaker copper tone on the belly.
- Glowing Puffleg can occur in some of the same broad Andean regions, but it usually has a more uniformly golden-green underbody and lacks the Coppery-bellied Puffleg’s strongly contrasting copper central belly.
- Identification is safest when the bird is observed in good light, because the green, bronze and violet colours can change noticeably with viewing angle.
Conservation Status
The current global assessment used by recent bird checklists places the Coppery-bellied Puffleg in the IUCN category Least Concern. Some older references list it as Near Threatened, reflecting an earlier assessment. Least Concern does not mean that the species is free from risk at a local level.
The main conservation concerns are the loss and fragmentation of montane forest edges, shrublands and páramo-transition habitats. Agricultural expansion, grazing, burning, logging, road construction and other forms of highland development can reduce feeding and nesting habitat. Climate change may also alter the distribution and timing of flowering plants, although the species-specific effects remain uncertain.
Protecting connected high-elevation vegetation, maintaining native flowering plants and managing grazing and fire are important conservation measures. Protected areas such as Chingaza, Iguaque and Sumapaz provide significant habitat, but conservation outside park boundaries is also important because the species uses a naturally fragmented high-Andean landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can the Coppery-bellied Puffleg be found?
It occurs in the eastern Andes of Colombia and in north-western Venezuela, especially in highland areas around montane forest edges, shrublands and páramo margins.
What does the Coppery-bellied Puffleg look like?
It is a small green hummingbird with a coppery or bronze belly, violet undertail coverts, a blue-black tail and white feather puffs around the legs.
How large is the Coppery-bellied Puffleg?
Adults are approximately 9–10 cm long. Males and females are similar in size, although males usually show stronger iridescent colours.
What does the Coppery-bellied Puffleg eat?
Its diet consists mainly of nectar from highland flowering plants. It also takes small insects and other arthropods for protein.
Is the Coppery-bellied Puffleg migratory?
It is not considered a long-distance migrant. Local or altitudinal movements may occur when birds follow changes in flowering or food availability.
What is the conservation status of the Coppery-bellied Puffleg?
Recent global assessments classify it as Least Concern. Nevertheless, habitat loss and fragmentation remain important local threats, particularly in the high Andes.
References
- BirdLife International
- IOC World Bird List
- Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia
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