Violet-fronted Brilliant
Violet-fronted Brilliant (Heliodoxa leadbeateri)
Name Origin:
Heliodoxa combines Greek hēlios (sun) and doxa (glory), referring to its radiant plumage. The species epithet leadbeateri honors British naturalist Benjamin Leadbeater.
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 10.5–12 cm (4.1–4.7 in)
⚖️ Weight: 6.5–8.0 g (0.23–0.28 oz)
🌎 Range: Northern Venezuela to the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia
🧭 Elevation: 800–2,300 m (2,600–7,500 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and arthropods
🏡 Habitat: Humid montane forest and edges, often in ravines or mossy slopes
🧬 Clade: Heliantheini – Brilliants
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)
Subspecies & Distribution
Four subspecies:
Heliodoxa leadbeateri leadbeateri
Distribution: Coastal mountain ranges of northern Venezuela (Falcón to Miranda).Heliodoxa leadbeateri parvula
Distribution: Sierra de Perijá and Eastern Andes of Venezuela (Trujillo to Táchira) southward into Colombia (E Andes, Magdalena Valley, possibly northern Central Andes).Heliodoxa leadbeateri sagitta
Distribution: Eastern slopes of the Andes in Ecuador and northern Peru (south to Pasco). Inhabits mid-elevation cloud forest and humid slope edges.Heliodoxa leadbeateri otero
Distribution: Eastern Andes of central and southern Peru extending into northwestern Bolivia (Cochabamba). Found primarily in humid montane forest and ravines.
Species Overview
The Violet-fronted Brilliant is a robust hummingbird with vibrant, iridescent plumage. It gets its name from the glowing violet to bluish-violet forehead seen most prominently in males. The rest of the body features shimmering green tones with bronzy upperparts and dark tail feathers. Its behavior is deliberate and often dominant around nectar sources in the midstory and canopy levels. Both sexes are vocal, with sharp calls used in defense of flowering territories.
Male Description:
Brilliant violet forehead, glittering green throat and chest, bronzy-green upperparts, and a dark forked tail. Bill is straight and black.
Female Description:
Similar structure but less colorful, with a spotted white and green throat and duller underparts. Forehead violet tone is greatly reduced or absent.
Habitat & Behavior:
Favors montane forests, especially forest edges, ravines, and streamside habitats. Often forages in the mid to upper canopy, feeding from large tubular flowers. Males defend feeding areas and use short perches in shady understory. Known to engage in aerial chases when rivals approach.
Conservation Note:
The species is generally stable across its wide range, with local populations benefiting from protected cloud forest zones. However, habitat degradation, especially deforestation along Andean slopes, could pose long-term threats in fragmented areas.
Below is the Violet-fronted Brilliant (Heliodoxa leadbeateri parvula)
Photographed at Finca La Esperanza, Cundinamarca, Colombia
These individuals belong to the subspecies parvula, which occurs in the Eastern Andes of Colombia and adjacent Venezuela, including the Magdalena Valley and parts of the Central Andes. It inhabits humid montane forests, often ranging between 1,200 and 2,400 meters. This form typically shows a less extensive violet crown compared to sagitta, with a slightly more bronzy green hue overall and a narrower glittering gorget. Vocalizations and structure are consistent across populations, but parvula tends to be more restricted in elevation and patchily distributed.
Below is the Violet-fronted Brilliant (Heliodoxa leadbeateri sagitta)
Photographed at Huembo Lodge, Amazonas, Peru and Bosque de Protección Alto Mayo, San Martín, Peru
These individuals belong to the subspecies sagitta, which occurs along the eastern slope of the Andes from Ecuador south through northern Peru (to Pasco). It inhabits humid montane forests, often between 1,000 and 2,200 meters elevation. This subspecies is marked by its vibrant violet crown, rich bronzy green back, and large size among Andean hummingbirds. Compared to otero, sagitta is generally slightly smaller and has a cleaner green chest and more bluish forehead sheen.
