Purple-throated Sunangel

Common name: Purple-throated Sunangel
Scientific name: Heliangelus viola
Clades: Lesbiini - Coquettes

The Purple-throated Sunangel is 11 to 12 cm (4.3 to 4.7 in) long and weighs 5.1 to 6.6 g (0.18 to 0.23 oz).

Medium-sized hummingbirds with impressive violet gorgets and shining green bodies. The coloration of female gorgets can appear whitish or even be completely absent of purple at times, depending on the season. There are deeply forked tails on both sexes. These sunangels are found in cloud forests, forest edges, thickets, alder woodlands, second-growth forests, and shrub areas. It is common to see males on perches out in the open.

3 subspecies:

(Purple-throated)

1. H. v. viola
   Distribution Andes of n Peru (east of Río Marañón in Amazonas; also very locally west of Marañón in Cajamarca)

   (Brilliant)

2. H. v. pyropus
   Distribution Andes of s Ecuador and nw Peru (Piura).

3. H. v. splendidus
   Distribution Andes of n Peru (west of Río Marañón in Cajamarca; also very locally east of Marañón in Amazonas?)