Empress Brilliant

Common name: Empress Brilliant
Scientific name: Heliodoxa imperatrix
Clades: Heliantheini - Brilliants

The Empress Brilliants are 15 to 17 cm (5.9 to 6.7 in) long and weigh about 9.3 g (0.33 oz).

Empress Brilliant is a stunning hummingbird of Andean cloud forests. With a golden sheen on the belly, this bird has a large, thick-billed, and long-tailed appearance. Violet patches cover the throats of males, while white patches cover the throats and breasts of females. The faces and throats of young birds have a rusty wash. It prefers forests that are very wet and epiphyte-laden as well as feeders in some areas.

Distribution Pacific slope from WC Colombia (S Chocó) to NW Ecuador (Pichincha).