Buff-winged Starfrontlet

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

Coeligena lutetiae

Silhouette: PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Los Nevados National Natural Park

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

1,833 Verified sightings at Los Nevados National Natural Park From 2019 to 2026
1,886 In all 2 parks
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Buff-winged Starfrontlet

The buff-winged starfrontlet (Coeligena lutetiae) is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The buff-winged starfrontlet and most other members of genus Coeligena were at one time placed in genus Helianthea but have been in their current placement since the mid-1900s. However, the Clements taxonomy treats the species as monotypic.

The buff-winged starfrontlet is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long. Males weigh 6.9 to 7.2 g (0.24 to 0.25 oz) and females about 6.6 g (0.23 oz). Both sexes have a long, black, slightly upturned bill and a white spot behind the eye. Both sexes have a forked tail though the female's is not as deeply indented as the male's. Males of the nominate subspecies has velvety black upperparts with a glittering green forehead. They have a violet gorget and the rest of the underparts are dark green. The wings are dark with a large cinnamon-buff... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:09

Ecuador · 2022

© Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · XC1163129 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:13

Colombia · 2023

© David Monroy Rengifo · XC818052 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Flight call0:19

Ecuador · 2005

© Niels Krabbe · XC250681 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~30%
2 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%

Cities Where Found

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

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Buff-winged Starfrontlet in Los Nevados National Natural Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Buff-winged Starfrontlet sighting in Los Nevados National Natural Park on a given day, based on 1,833 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 424 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Buff-winged Starfrontlet in Los Nevados National Natural Park?

June and November–December

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Buff-winged Starfrontlet in Los Nevados National Natural Park on a given day, against about 20% in August and September, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Buff-winged Starfrontlet?

Between 9 am and noon

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

Is Los Nevados National Natural Park the best place to see a Buff-winged Starfrontlet?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Buff-winged Starfrontlet sightings, Los Nevados National Natural Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Podocarpus National Park (Ecuador, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Buff-winged Starfrontlet live in Los Nevados National Natural Park?

Same genus: Coeligena

The closest relatives of the Buff-winged Starfrontlet that you can see in Los Nevados National Natural Park (genus Coeligena, Incas and Starfrontlets) are Collared Inca (about 20%) and Bronzy Inca (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Buff-winged Starfrontlet sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Buff-winged Starfrontlet is recorded against all the birds logged in Los Nevados National Natural Park (1,833 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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