Shining Sunbeam, Aglaeactis cupripennis
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One of the most numerous and active high-altitude hummingbirds, found between 8500 and 11,000 feet, notable for its rich cinnamon-colored face and underparts. Shown above in multiflash photo taken on the patio of Ecolodge San Jorge, Quito; below photograped in natural light at Yanacocha Reserve. |
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In this species, the underparts of both sexes are the same, so the birds in the top two images on this page can't be distinguished by sex. Ridgely and Greenfield describe the upperparts of the male as "metallic dusky brown ... with area of glittering purple on lower back becoming coppery on rump and green on uppertail coverts," while otherwise similar females have "little or no glitter on back or rump." My best guess based on this description is that the bird immediately above is a male and the one below a female, but I note that the image above was taken with flash and the one below was not. |
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