Golden-breasted Puffleg

Colombia

Jul 17

Golden-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis mosquera)

Name Origin:
The genus name Eriocnemis derives from Greek erion (“wool”) and knemis (“leg”), referring to the bird’s fluffy leg tufts or “puffs.” The specific epithet mosquera honors Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera, a 19th-century Colombian general and statesman who supported early natural history work in the Andes.

Quick Facts

🪶 Length: 9–10.5 cm (3.5–4.1 in)
⚖️ Weight: 5.5–6.0 g (0.19–0.21 oz)
🌎 Range: Andes of Colombia
🧭 Elevation: 2,500–3,800 m (8,200–12,500 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small arthropods
🏡 Habitat: Cloud forest, humid montane forest, and páramo edge
🧬 Clade: Heliantheini “Brilliants” (Andean montane hummingbirds)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)

Subspecies & Distribution

Monotypic species — no recognized subspecies.

Distribution: Endemic to the central Andes of Colombia, found in the Western and Central Cordilleras from Antioquia south to Nariño, mainly between 2,500 and 3,800 meters elevation. It inhabits humid montane and cloud forests, particularly at forest edges and in shrub-dominated zones near páramo.

Species Overview

The Golden-breasted Puffleg is a luminous Colombian endemic, remarkable for its metallic green and gold plumage and gleaming white leg puffs. It is often encountered in upper montane forests, where it feeds among Fuchsia, Bomarea, and Brachyotum. Though localized, it remains fairly common in suitable habitat and represents one of the most visually spectacular members of its genus.

Male Description:
The male exhibits brilliant golden-green plumage, especially on the breast and belly, contrasting with its bright white leg puffs. The crown and back are metallic green, the rump and uppertail coverts glint turquoise, and the tail is dark bluish with bronze sheen.

Female Description:
The female is slightly duller, with green upperparts, a bronzy-tinged breast, and smaller white leg tufts. Her tail is shorter and more rounded than the male’s.

Habitat & Behavior:
Prefers humid montane forest and shrubby páramo transition zones, where it feeds on nectar from native Fuchsia, Bomarea, Bejaria, and Palicourea. It frequently hovers in place while feeding, showing off its gleaming underparts. Males maintain small feeding territories and perch conspicuously between bouts of foraging.

Conservation Note:
Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, the Golden-breasted Puffleg remains locally common but patchily distributed. Its main threats are habitat loss and forest clearing at high elevations. It is protected within several national parks, including Los Nevados National Park and Farallones de Cali National Park (Colombia). Maintaining continuous high-Andean forest corridors and páramo buffer zones will be key to ensuring the persistence of this endemic Heliantheini jewel.