Longuemare's Sunangel
Longuemare’s Sunangel (Heliangelus clarisse)
Name Origin:
The genus Heliangelus is formed from the Greek words helios (“sun”) and angelos (“messenger” or “angel”), likely referencing the bird’s iridescent plumage. The species name clarisse honors Clarisse, a figure presumed to have supported early Andean natural history exploration.
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 9–10 cm
⚖️ Weight: ~5 g
🌎 Range: Eastern Andes of Colombia and the Sierra de Perijá
🧭 Elevation: 1,800–3,300 m
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small insects
🏡 Habitat: Cloudforest edges, shrubby slopes, and elfin forest
🧬 Clade: Lesbiini (a.k.a. “coquettes”)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)
Subspecies & Distribution
Two recognized subspecies:
Heliangelus clarisse clarisse
Distribution: Eastern Andes of Colombia and adjacent western Venezuela.Heliangelus clarisse violiceps
Distribution: Sierra de Perijá on the Colombia–Venezuela border.
Species Overview
Longuemare’s Sunangel is a bold, high-elevation hummingbird that thrives in cool Andean montane habitats. Males are striking, with an iridescent green body, glowing frontlet, and vivid gorget over a sharp white breast band. It’s typically found at forest edges, shrubby slopes, and elfin forests. It feeds from small tubular flowers and occasionally hawks insects from perches. Territorial when resources are dense, it may also forage in loose circuits at lower flower densities.
Male Description:
Dark metallic green with a glittering turquoise frontlet and a vivid reddish-violet gorget. A clean white pectoral band separates the upper breast from the dusky belly. Tail is short and slightly notched.
Female Description:
Similar structure but with a duller throat, reduced iridescence, and more mottled underparts.
Habitat & Behavior:
Occupies the edge zones of cloudforest and shrubby highland slopes, usually between 1,800 and 3,300 meters. Actively forages at mid-level flowers and perches conspicuously on open branches. Uses a combination of trap-lining and patch defense based on resource density. Known to be vocal and active even in misty conditions typical of its range.
Conservation Note:
Although considered stable and listed as Least Concern, the species is habitat-dependent and could be sensitive to deforestation or forest edge conversion. Protected cloudforest and paramo buffer zones are important for long-term viability, especially in isolated ranges like the Perijá.
Below is the Longuemare’s Sunangel (Heliangelus clarisse clarisse)
Photographed at Observatorio de Colibríes (Cundinamarca)
These individuals belong to the subspecies clarisse, which is found throughout the Eastern Andes of Colombia, including Cundinamarca. It inhabits humid montane cloudforest, shrubby slopes, and forest edges between roughly 1,800 and 3,300 meters. This form shows a blue-green frontlet and a reddish-violet gorget with a distinct white pectoral band. Females are duller with less iridescence and reduced throat coloration.
Below is the Longuemare’s Sunangel (Heliangelus clarisse violiceps)
Photographed in Cesar, Colombia
These individuals belong to the subspecies violiceps, which is restricted to the Sierra de Perijá along the Colombia–Venezuela border. This form shares much of the same habitat structure as the nominate but may show differences in the intensity of the gorget color and crown iridescence. Specific diagnostic distinctions are subtle and require direct comparison in the field.
