Golden-bellied Starfrontlet vs Sooty Barbthroat
Coeligena bonapartei compared with Threnetes niger
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Golden-bellied Starfrontlet | Sooty Barbthroat |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Coeligena bonapartei | Threnetes niger |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 15.0 cm (5.9 in) | 11.8 cm (4.6 in) |
| Weight | 6.800000000000001 g (0.24 oz) | 5.8 g (0.20 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Colombian and Venezuelan cloud forest; forages at Ericaceae and Clusia. Takes small insects … | Primarily nectarivore visiting tubular flowers; supplements diet with small insects and spiders for protein. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Golden-bellied Starfrontlet
High, crystalline twittering with silvery sheen; rapid light notes cascading brightly in active display sequences.
Sooty Barbthroat
Melodic, descending whistle with rich timbre; smooth pure tone dropping gracefully through several semitones then fading.
Geographic Range & Migration
Golden-bellied Starfrontlet
Found in cloud forest of the eastern Andes of Colombia and western Venezuela at 1,800–2,800 m.
Sooty Barbthroat
Found in a restricted range in northeastern Brazil and adjacent French Guiana. Resident in coastal rainforest. Rare and locally distributed.
Conservation Status
Golden-bellied Starfrontlet
Sooty Barbthroat
How to Tell Them Apart
Golden-bellied Starfrontlet
Green-headed Hillstar: males with glittering green head; metallic green above; white underparts; females green above; spotted buff below
Sooty Barbthroat
Dark sooty-brown and green upperparts; sooty-dark throat and breast; belly pale grey-buff; tail dark with pale tip; Guiana region endemic; distinctly darker and sootier below than other barbthroats with heavily …
About These Birds
Golden-bellied Starfrontlet
A medium-sized hummingbird (13-14 cm) found in Andean cloud forests from Venezuela to Colombia at 1,800-3,200 m. Males have a golden-yellow belly and iridescent green forehead. Nectarivore of montane forest and forest edges.
Sooty Barbthroat
A medium-sized hummingbird (10-12 cm) found in humid lowland forests of the eastern Amazon basin and the Guianas. Dark sooty-green plumage. Nectarivore of dense forest undergrowth. One of the least known hermit hummingbirds due to its restricted range in remote forests.