Purple-throated Woodstar Calliphlox mitchellii Philodice mitchellii

Purple-throated Woodstar Calliphlox mitchellii
(aka Philodice mitchellii)

Refugio Paz de las Aves, Pichincha, Ecuador
November 2019

The Purple-throated Woodstar is distributed in the Andes of western Colombia and western Ecuador where it is confined to the west slope. There is a disjunct population in Darien, Panama. See the distribution map at Birdlife International. It is found in forest and forest borders.

The male is very similar to the Amethyst Woodstar C. amethystina which is found only on the east slope of the Andes. The female, seen here, is distinguished by its rich rufous underparts.

The specific name is in honour of David Mitchell (1814-1859) who was the Secretary of the Zoological Society of London and a well-known bird illustrator.

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