Appearance
The black-thighed puffleg is about 10 cm long. It has a straight blackish bill. Males are mostly shining golden green overall, sometimes with black hightlights, and has glittering malachite green upper- and undertail coverts. Their leg puffs are black and the tail is forked and black. Females are similar but have white underparts with green spots, and their leg puffs are a mix of black and grayish white. The female also has a blue tinge to the forehead. Juveniles resemble females.
Distribution
The black-thighed puffleg is found in the Central Andes of Colombia from Tolima Department and south to Imbabura Province in northwestern Ecuador. It inhabits bushy pastures and the edges of humid forest, and in Colombia has also been recorded in shrubby ravines. It prefers somewhat open landscapes. In elevation it ranges from 2,500 to 3,600 m and is most common above 2,900 m.
Status
The IUCN has assessed the black-thighed puffleg as Near Threatened. It has a moderately small range; its population size is not known and believed to be decreasing due to habitat loss. It is considered uncommon to locally common, and "[r]eadily takes to man-made habitats like pastures and gardens".Habitat
The black-thighed puffleg is found in the Central Andes of Colombia from Tolima Department and south to Imbabura Province in northwestern Ecuador. It inhabits bushy pastures and the edges of humid forest, and in Colombia has also been recorded in shrubby ravines. It prefers somewhat open landscapes. In elevation it ranges from 2,500 to 3,600 m and is most common above 2,900 m.Reproduction
Very little is known about the black-thighed puffleg's breeding phenology. Its nesting season has not been defined but appears to include February. The female incubates the two white eggs; the incubation period and time to fledging are not known.{| cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="background-color:#f6f6f6"
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Songs and calls
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Food
The black-thighed puffleg feeds on nectar, usually at the flowers of low-growing plants like "Fuchsia" and Arecaceae. Its diet also includes insects taken by hawking.References:
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