Mountain velvetbreast

The mountain velvetbreast (Lafresnaya lafresnayi) is a species in the family Troochiidae, the family to which all hummingbirds belong. It is the only member of its genus and is found in the Andes, mostly between 2400 and 3500 m (7,900 to 11,500 ft), of northwestern Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are clearings and bushes at the edges of subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded forests.

Mountain velvetbreast
Male in Yanacocha Reserve, Ecuador
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Lafresnaya
Bonaparte, 1850
Species:
L. lafresnayi
Binomial name
Lafresnaya lafresnayi
(Boissonneau, 1840)

Description
a male showing its black belly

The mountain velvetbreast has an overall length of 9 cm which includes its 2.5 cm long decurved bill. Its upper parts are shiny green as are its throat and breast, but the belly is black and the vent is moistly white. It has a small postocular white spot. Its outer tail feathers are white with black tips, but the central tail feathers are bronzy green. The female is similar except she lacks the black belly and is mostly buffy or whitish below with green spots.

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Lafresnaya lafresnayi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)


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