Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Longuemare's Sunangel (Heliangelus clarisse) - HBW 5, p. 636
French: Héliange de Clarisse
German: Longuemare-Sonnennymphe
Spanish: Colibrí de Clarissa
Other common names: Merida Sunangel (spencei)
Taxonomy: Ornismya clarisse Longuemare, 1841, Bogotá, Colombia.
Forms a superspecies with H. amethysticollis, with which formerly considered conspecific; however, subtle morphological differences and markedly disjunct range support their treatment as separate species; H. strophianus may also belong in this superspecies. Race spencei sometimes considered a distinct species, most typically when remaining races of present species are lumped into H. amethysticollis. Proposed race verdiscutatus (Páramo de Tamá) included within nominate, though possibly closer in plumage to violiceps. One case of hybridiza.. View all taxonomy...
Forms a superspecies with H. amethysticollis, with which formerly considered conspecific; however, subtle morphological differences and markedly disjunct range support their treatment as separate species; H. strophianus may also belong in this superspecies. Race spencei sometimes considered a distinct species, most typically when remaining races of present species are lumped into H. amethysticollis. Proposed race verdiscutatus (Páramo de Tamá) included within nominate, though possibly closer in plumage to violiceps. One case of hybridization has been recorded between present species and Heliodoxa leadbeateri. Form “dubius”, known only from two trade skins, may be a melanistic form of present species. Three subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- violiceps Phelps & Phelps, Jr., 1953 - Sierra de Perijá, along Colombia-Venezuela border.
- spencei (Bourcier, 1847) - Andes of Mérida (NW Venezuela).
- clarisse (Longuemare, 1841) - E Andes of Colombia (Norte de Santander to Cundinamarca) and adjacent W Venezuela.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A male flying around a flower and feeding, then, perched on a branch Locality Venezuela (ssp spencei)
Garry George 6 July 2004 4 years ago 18 sec 3.9
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On a branch
Locality Monterredondo, Guayabetal, Cundinamarca Department, Colombia
mauricio rueda 16 October 2011 16 weeks ago 3.3 -
On a branch
Locality Soatá, Boyacá Department, Colombia
mauricio rueda 17 September 2011 21 weeks ago 3 -
Lateral view of female in flight feeding in a flower
Locality Pico Humboldt Trail, Sierra Nevada National Park, Mérida State, Venezuela (ssp spencei)
Mikko Pyhälä 9 April 2011 44 weeks ago 2 -
Dorsal view of female in flight
Locality Pico Humboldt Trail, Sierra Nevada National Park, Mérida State, Venezuela (ssp spencei)
Mikko Pyhälä 9 April 2011 44 weeks ago 1.7
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Calls (song?) while perched, then flight calls from two birds chasing each other. Locality Pico Humboldt Trail, Sierra Nevada National Park, Mérida State, Venezuela
(ssp spencei)
Nick Athanas 14 August 2006 2 years ago 3
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