Purple-crowned Fairy

The Purple-crowned Fairy, a species of hummingbird known scientifically as Heliothryx barroti, is a slender avian adorned with bright emerald green upperparts and pure white underparts. Its long, pointed tail features blue-black central feathers flanked by white outer feathers. A distinctive black patch runs through its eye, and it boasts a short, straight, and black bill. The male is particularly striking with a metallic violet forecrown and additional violet and emerald green markings on the face. The female, on the other hand, has a green crown and a face with less black, lacking the violet spot and green below the black. Immature birds can be identified by the cinnamon fringes on their upperpart's plumage and the dusky spots that dot their throat and breast.

Identification Tips

To identify the Purple-crowned Fairy, look for the male's metallic violet forecrown and the black eye patch with a violet spot behind it. The female lacks the violet features and has a green crown. Both sexes have a black eye patch and bright emerald green below it. The juveniles are distinguishable by the cinnamon edges on their feathers and the sparsely spotted throat and breast.

Habitat

This hummingbird inhabits the canopy and edges of humid lowland forests, as well as shady plantations and mature secondary forests.

Distribution

The Purple-crowned Fairy graces us from southeastern Mexico down to northern Peru, with its presence noted from eastern Chiapas and southern Tabasco in Mexico, through the Caribbean slopes of Central America, and along the Pacific slopes of Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru.

Behaviour

A resident bird throughout its range, the Purple-crowned Fairy is not particularly territorial but is known for its aggressive nature, capable of fending off attacks from other territorial hummingbirds.

Song & Calls

The Purple-crowned Fairy is not a frequent vocalist, but when it does call, it emits a high, thin, slightly metallic "sssit," which can be strung into longer, rapid series.

Breeding

Breeding primarily occurs from October to March in Costa Rica, with the female single-handedly constructing the nest, incubating the eggs, and caring for the young. The nest is a small conical cup made of plant down, often situated near the tip of a thin branch, typically over water and at heights between 6 and 20 meters. The clutch consists of two eggs, with an incubation period of 16 to 17 days and fledging occurring 20 to 24 days post-hatch.

Diet and Feeding

The Purple-crowned Fairy forages in the mid-story and canopy, occasionally venturing lower at forest edges. It feeds on nectar from various flowers, employing both the traditional method of inserting its bill into the corolla and the more surreptitious technique of piercing the flower's base to access nectar. It also consumes small arthropods, favoring spiders, by hovering and gleaning from foliage rather than catching insects in flight.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the Purple-crowned Fairy as Least Concern, with an estimated population of at least 50,000 individuals. Although the numbers are believed to be decreasing, human activity seems to have little immediate impact on this species.