Amethyst-throated Sunangel

The amethyst-throated sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis) is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. == Taxonomy and systematics == The amethyst-throated sunangel's taxonomy is not settled. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC), BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW), and the Clements taxonomy assign these four subspecies to it: H. a. laticlavius, Salvin (1891) H. a. decolor, Zimmer, JT (1951) H. a. apurimacensis, Weller (2009) H. a. amethysticollis, d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye (1838) The South American Classification Committee (SACC) of the American Ornithological Society includes three other subspecies. They are H. a. violiceps and H. a. clarisse that IOC, HBW, and the Clements taxonomy treat as Longuemare's sunangel (H. clarisse) and H. a. spencei that they treat as the Mérida sunangel (H. spencei). == Description == The amethyst-throated sunangel, as defined by the IOC, is about 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weighs 3.8 to 7.7 g (0.13 to 0.27 oz). The species has a straight, rather short, black bill. The adult male of nominate subspecies H. a. amethysticollis has shiny dark green upperparts with a bright green frontlet just above the bill. Its throat and upper…