Bird Album
Shining Sunbeam
Aglaeactis cupripennis (Bourcier, 1843)
12–13 cmLength7.6 gWeight
The shining sunbeam (Aglaeactis cupripennis) is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae.
Most records: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Where and when it's recorded
Shining Sunbeam has been recorded at 57 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Hotel Termales del RuízColombia4,193 records
- Reserva YanacochaEcuador3,416 records
- Hacienda El BosqueColombia2,479 records
More places
- Tambo Cóndor Bird LodgeEcuador2,342 records
- RFP Bosque Oriental de Bogotá – Cerro MonserrateColombia1,202 records
- Papallacta – hot springs and road to Cayambe-CocaEcuador696 records
- Santuario de Colibríes – Ensifera CampPeru652 records
- AntisanaEcuador551 records
- Wayqecha Cloud Forest Birding LodgePeru529 records
- Reserva Antisana – flujo de lava, mirador del cóndor, y alrededoresEcuador394 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 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.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Shining Sunbeam?
The Shining Sunbeam is about 12–13 cm long and weighs around 7.6 g.
Where does the Shining Sunbeam live?
Its breeding range: South America: Colombia to Peru. It is most often recorded in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Is the Shining Sunbeam endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Shining Sunbeam as Least Concern.
What does the Shining Sunbeam eat?
Main food: Nectar.
What family is the Shining Sunbeam in?
It belongs to the family Hummingbirds (Trochilidae), order Apodiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 12–13 cm
- Weight
- 7.6 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Nectar
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 82 mm
- Tail
- 50 mm
- Bill
- 22 mm
- Tarsus
- 7 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: Colombia to Peru
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Hummingbirds Trochilidae
- Genus
- Aglaeactis
Other birds in the genus Aglaeactis
White-tufted SunbeamAglaeactis castelnaudii
Purple-backed SunbeamAglaeactis aliciae
Black-hooded SunbeamAglaeactis pamela
Crimson TopazTopaza pella
Fiery TopazTopaza pyra
White-necked JacobinFlorisuga mellivora
Black JacobinFlorisuga fusca
White-tipped SicklebillEutoxeres aquila
Buff-tailed SicklebillEutoxeres condamini
Saw-billed HermitRamphodon naevius
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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