Purple-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus viola)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Purple-throated Sunangel

Heliangelus viola Gould, 1853

11–12 cmLength5.4 gWeight

The purple-throated sunangel (Heliangelus viola) is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Peru, Ecuador

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Purple-throated Sunangel has been recorded at 5 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Reserva HuemboPeru170 records
  2. PN El Cajas – Laguna Llaviucu, entrada y alrededoresEcuador167 records
  3. Trocha Cresta de San LorenzoPeru19 records
More places
  1. Reserva Tapichalaca y Casa SimpsonEcuador6 records
  2. ACP Abra Patricia – Owlet LodgePeru4 records

Countries and regions with the most records

PeruEcuador

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The purple-throated sunangel (Heliangelus viola) is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Purple-throated Sunangel?

The Purple-throated Sunangel is about 11–12 cm long and weighs around 5.4 g.

Where does the Purple-throated Sunangel live?

Its breeding range: South America: Ecuador and Peru. It is most often recorded in Peru and Ecuador.

When is the best time to see the Purple-throated Sunangel?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Purple-throated Sunangel endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Purple-throated Sunangel as Least Concern.

What does the Purple-throated Sunangel eat?

Main food: Nectar.

What family is the Purple-throated Sunangel in?

It belongs to the family Hummingbirds (Trochilidae), order Apodiformes.

At a glance

Length
11–12 cm
Weight
5.4 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Nectar
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
63 mm
Tail
53 mm
Bill
19 mm
Tarsus
6 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

South America: Ecuador and Peru

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Hummingbirds Trochilidae
Genus
Heliangelus

Other birds in the genus Heliangelus

Orange-throated SunangelOrange-throated SunangelHeliangelus mavorsAmethyst-throated SunangelAmethyst-throated SunangelHeliangelus amethysticollisLonguemare's SunangelLonguemare's SunangelHeliangelus clarisseMerida SunangelMerida SunangelHeliangelus spenceiGorgeted SunangelGorgeted SunangelHeliangelus strophianusTourmaline SunangelTourmaline SunangelHeliangelus exortisFlame-throated SunangelFlame-throated SunangelHeliangelus micrasterRoyal SunangelRoyal SunangelHeliangelus regalisCrimson TopazCrimson TopazTopaza pellaFiery TopazFiery TopazTopaza pyra
Purple-throated Sunangel

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by David Beadle. ↗

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