# Colorful puffleg

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The **colorful puffleg** (***Eriocnemis mirabilis***) is an [Endangered](/source/Endangered_species_(IUCN_status)) species of [hummingbird](/source/Hummingbird) in the "brilliants", tribe [Heliantheini](/source/Heliantheini) in subfamily [Lesbiinae](/source/Lesbiinae). It is endemic to [Colombia](/source/Colombia).[1][2][3]

## Taxonomy and systematics

The colorful puffleg is [monotypic](/source/Monotypic).[1] It is closely related to the [emerald-bellied puffleg](/source/Emerald-bellied_puffleg) (*E. aline*) and they have variously been deemed [sister species](/source/Sister_species) or a [superspecies](/source/Superspecies). However, one author has suggested that because their plumage is so different from that of other *Eriocnemis* pufflegs that they should have their own genus.[4]

## Description

The colorful puffleg is about 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 in) long. It has a straight blackish bill. The male has dark shining green upperparts with a glittering green forehead. It has an iridescent green [gorget](/source/Gorget_(bird)) and upper breast, a glittering indigo blue belly, and glittering red and copper undertail [coverts](/source/Covert_feather). The tail is forked; it is dark bronzy green above and shining golden bronzy green below. The female has mostly white underparts with green dots on the sides of the throat and the breast and reddish bronze spots on the flanks and the sides of the belly. Both sex's leg puffs are white with cinnamon tips, though the female's are smaller than the male's.[5]

## Distribution and habitat

The colorful puffleg is known only from a few locations on the west slope of the Western Andes in Colombia's [Cauca Department](/source/Cauca_Department). Most observations have been in undisturbed [cloud forest](/source/Northwestern_Andean_montane_forests) but it also occurs at the forest edge and in clearings. The plant communities are characterized by Colombian oak (*[Quercus humboldtii](/source/Quercus_humboldtii)*) and plants of genera *[Billia](/source/Billia)*, *[Clusia](/source/Clusia)*, *[Persea](/source/Persea)*, *[Hyeronima](/source/Hyeronima)*, and *[Weinmannia](/source/Weinmannia)*. The observations have been in the fairly narrow elevational range of 2,200 to 2,440 m (7,200 to 8,000 ft).[5]

## Behavior

### Movement

The colorful puffleg is sedentary.[5]

### Feeding

The colorful puffleg feeds mostly at levels between 2 and 4 m (7 and 10 ft) above the ground. It has been recorded feeding on nectar from *[Tillandsia](/source/Tillandsia) delicatula*, *[Clusia](/source/Clusia) coremandra* and other *Clusia* species, *[Anthopterus](/source/Anthopterus) oliganthus*, *[Cavendishia](/source/Cavendishia) bracteata*, *[Psammisia](/source/Psammisia) columbiensis*, *[Besleria](/source/Besleria) quadrangulata*, *[Elleanthus](/source/Elleanthus) aurantiacus*, and *[Palicourea](/source/Palicourea) killipii*.[5]

### Breeding

Nothing is known about the colorful puffleg's breeding [phenology](/source/Phenology).[5]

### Vocalization

As of early 2022, Cornell University's [Macaulay Library](/source/Macaulay_Library) had no recordings of colorful puffleg vocalization, and [Xeno-canto](/source/Xeno-canto) had only three. What is thought to be its song is "a repeated single metallic short note 'tsit'".[5]

## Status

The [IUCN](/source/IUCN) originally assessed the colorful puffleg as Threatened, then in 1994 as Vulnerable and in 2000 as Critically Endangered. The most recent assessment, in 2017, downlisted it to Endangered. Its population is estimated at 250 to 999 adult individuals and is believed to be decreasing. It occupies a few small sites with a total area of suitable habitat of only 14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) within its nominal range of about 680 km2 (260 sq mi). In 2005, [Swarovski Optik](/source/Swarovski_Optik) donated funds which allowed the [American Bird Conservancy](/source/American_Bird_Conservancy) and [Fundación ProAves](/source/Fundaci%C3%B3n_ProAves) to create the 1,980 ha (4,890 acres) Aves Mirabilis Swarovski Nature Reserve for this species. Another site is within [Munchique National Natural Park](/source/Munchique_National_Natural_Park). However, all of the sites are under pressure from logging and illegal coca growing.[3][5][6]

## References

1. Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (January 2022). ["IOC World Bird List (v 12.1) - Hummingbirds"](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/hummingbirds/). Retrieved January 15, 2022.

1. HBW and BirdLife International (2020) *Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world* Version 5. Available at: [https://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v5_Dec20.zip](https://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v5_Dec20.zip) [.xls zipped 1 MB] retrieved 27 May 2021

1. BirdLife International (2017). "Colorful Puffleg *Eriocnemis mirabilis*". Vol. 2017. [doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22687939A118473368.en](https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22687939A118473368.en). Retrieved 15 March 2022.

1. Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 31 January 2022. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. [https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm](https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm) retrieved February 1, 2022

1. Heynen, I., P. F. D. Boesman, and C. J. Sharpe (2020). Colorful Puffleg (*Eriocnemis mirabilis*), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. [https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.colpuf2.01](https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.colpuf2.01) retrieved March 15, 2022

1. ["Five of South America's Rarest Hummingbirds & Where to See Them"](https://abcbirds.org/blog/south-americas-rarest-hummingbirds/). 12 June 2019.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Colorful puffleg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorful_puffleg) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorful_puffleg?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.