Mountain Velvetbreast

Mountain Velvetbreast

Lafresnaya lafresnayi

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Farallones de Cali National Natural Park

In 3 days <5%

10 Verified sightings at Farallones de Cali National Natural Park From 2019 to 2026
669 In all 4 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Mountain Velvetbreast

The mountain velvetbreast (Lafresnaya lafresnayi) is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The mountain velvetbreast is the only member of its genus. Seven subspecies are recognized:

The mountain velvetbreast is 11.5 to 12 cm (4.5 to 4.7 in) long including its 2.7 to 3.2 cm (1.1 to 1.3 in) bill. It weighs 4.5 to 6.3 g (0.16 to 0.22 oz). Males have a thin decurved black bill whose length and curvature vary among the subspecies. The female's bill is less curved than the male's and also varies geographically. All subspecies have a white spot behind the eye.

Adult males of the nominate subspecies L. l. lafresnayi have grass green upperparts. Their throat... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:21

Ecuador · 2025

© Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · XC1157928 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Flight call0:14

Ecuador · 2005

© Niels Krabbe · XC251032 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Uncertain0:09

Peru · 2019

© Javier Tavera · XC657777 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
2 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
3 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
4 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Quito 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Mountain Velvetbreast in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Velvetbreast sighting in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 473rd most-seen of the 542 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Mountain Velvetbreast in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Velvetbreast in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Mountain Velvetbreast?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mountain Velvetbreast sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Which relatives of the Mountain Velvetbreast live in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

Same family: Trochilidae

The closest relatives of the Mountain Velvetbreast that you can see in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Violet-crowned Woodnymph (about 70%), White-necked Jacobin (about 60%) and Brown Violetear (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Mountain Velvetbreast sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Mountain Velvetbreast is recorded against all the birds logged in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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