Shining Sunbeam (Aglaeactis cupripennis) by David Whited

Shining Sunbeam (Aglaeactis cupripennis)

David Whited

Shining Sunbeam (Aglaeactis cupripennis)

Digital photography

Inv: PH-1589

The Shining Sunbeam (Aglaeactis cupripennis) is a medium-sized hummingbird native to the Andes of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, typically found in high-altitude shrubby habitats, forest edges, and gardens between roughly 2,500 and 4,000 meters elevation. It has a relatively stocky build with a straight, medium-length black bill, and its plumage is predominantly a warm cinnamon-brown to rufous color on the underparts, with a darker, often coppery or bronze-tinged back and wings that can flash iridescent purplish or coppery highlights in good light, giving the bird its "shining" name. The crown and upper back may show a glittering golden-green or coppery sheen depending on the angle of light, while the tail is typically dark with rufous edges. Like other hummingbirds, it feeds primarily on nectar from flowering shrubs such as Brachyotum and other Andean plants, supplementing its diet with small insects, and it is known for its territorial behavior, often perching prominently and defending favored flowering bushes from rivals.

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Additional Artworks

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