Aglaeactis cupripennis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The shining sunbeam (Aglaeactis cupripennis) is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. In the past the species had been subdivided into as many as six subspecies. In addition, what is now the purple-backed sunbeam (A. aliciae) has also been treated as a subspecies of shining sunbeam.
The shining sunbeam is 12 to 13 cm (4.7 to 5.1 in) long. Males weigh 7.6 to 8.1 g (0.27 to 0.29 oz) and females 6.9 to 7.5 g (0.24 to 0.26 oz). Both sexes have a short, straight, black bill. Unique among sunbeams, neither sex has any white plumage. Males of the nominate subspecies have a dark brown crown and upper back; their lower back and rump are lilac-gold becoming silvery green on the uppertail coverts. Their tail feathers are dark brown to rufous, usually with bronzy edges. Their throat is rufous dotted with dusky gray, the breast a patchy buff, and the belly reddish brown. From north to south, the male's underparts become brighter, the crown... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Shining Sunbeam sighting in Los Nevados National Natural Park on a given day, based on 3,019 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 424 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February, April–July and November
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Shining Sunbeam in Los Nevados National Natural Park on a given day, against about 30% in September, the lowest month.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Shining Sunbeam sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Shining Sunbeam sightings, Los Nevados National Natural Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Chingaza National Natural Park (Colombia, about 10%) and Podocarpus National Park (Ecuador, under 5%).
Same family: Trochilidae
The closest relatives of the Shining Sunbeam that you can see in Los Nevados National Natural Park (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Great Sapphirewing (about 40%), Golden-breasted Puffleg (about 40%) and Viridian Metaltail (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Shining Sunbeam is recorded against all the birds logged in Los Nevados National Natural Park (3,019 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.
