White-chinned Sapphire Chlorestes cyanus Hylocharis cyanus Amazilia cyanus

White-chinned Sapphire Chlorestes cyanus
(aka Amazilia cyanus Hylocharis cyanus)
Brazilian name: beija-flor-roxo

White-chinned Sapphire, São Paulo, Brazil, July 2002 - click for larger image

Brazil and Peru

The White-chinned Sapphire is distributed in the Amazon and Orinoco Basins with disjunct populations around Lake Maracaibo, along the coast of south-east Brazil and into north-east Argentina. See the distribution map at xeno-canto.

It is found in forest edges, gallery forest, white sand forests and restinga. It does not seem to be common in cities but the bird in photos 1 to 4 was photographed in the centre of São Paulo City which I think is the first record for the city.

Points to watch out for are the straight red bill with black tip, the dark blue forehead, crown, cheeks and throat, the coppery rump and the green flanks. Photos 1 to 4 are of the race griseiventris which has a greyish belly but other races including the nominate shown in photo 5, have a green belly.

Photos 6 and 7 were taken on the eastern foothills of the Andes in Peru and are of the larger sub-species H. c. rostrata. Photo 6 is a male and photo 7 is a female.

White-chinned Sapphire, Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil, November 2008 - click for larger image

White-chinned Sapphire, Waqanki Lodge, San Martin, Peru, October 2018 - click for larger image

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