Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

Mountain Velvetbreast (Lafresnaya lafresnayi) - HBW 5, p. 624

French: Colibri de Lafresnaye German: Samtbauchkolibri Spanish: Colibrí Aterciopelado
Other common names: Velvetbreast

Taxonomy: Trochilus La Fresnayi Boissonneau, 1840, Bogotá, Colombia.
Genus apparently close to Oreotrochilus, based on behaviour and external morphology. Population from Páramo de Tamá (extreme W Venezuela) often separated as race tamae; another in N Peru as race orestes, but probably better considered synonymous with rectirostris. "Coeligena lawrencei" is probably a hybrid of present species and Coeligena torquata. Five subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

liriope Bangs, 1910 - Santa Marta Mts (NE Colombia).
greenewalti Phelps & Phelps, Jr., 1961 - W Venezuela (NE Táchira, Mérida, S Trujillo).
lafresnayi (Boissonneau, 1840) - extreme W Venezuela (Páramo de Tamá in S Táchira) and E & C Andes of Colombia.

See all 5 subspecies

liriope Bangs, 1910 - Santa Marta Mts (NE Colombia).
greenewalti Phelps & Phelps, Jr., 1961 - W Venezuela (NE Táchira, Mérida, S Trujillo).
lafresnayi (Boissonneau, 1840) - extreme W Venezuela (Páramo de Tamá in S Táchira) and E & C Andes of Colombia.
saul (DeLattre & Bourcier, 1846) - Andes of SW Colombia, Ecuador and N Peru.
rectirostris Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1902 - N & C Peru.