First Described (Guide)
(d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1938)
Habitat
Wet and humid montane forests (cloud forest and elfin forest). To a lesser extent in forest-edge, bushy second growth, open bushy terrain along streams and humid grassy slopes. From 1,800 - 3,200 m.
Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis) [XC640345]
by GABRIEL LEITE from Corani Aqueduct Road, Cochabamba, Bolivia (call)
Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis) [XC250923]
by Niels Krabbe from Zamora-Chinchipe: Cerro Plateado camp 2, Ecuador (call)
Subspecies
Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis) and Merida Sunangel (Heliangelus spencei) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) have been lumped into Heliangelus amethysticollis following SACC (2005).
Forms a superspecies with Longuemare's Sunangel (Heliangelus clarisse), with which formerly considered conspecific. However, subtle morphological differences and markedly disjunct range support their treatment as separate species. Gorgeted Sunangel (Heliangelus strophianus) may also belong in this superspecies.
The following 7 subspecies are recognised:
laticlavius Salvin, 1891 - Southern Ecuador and northern Peru.
decolor Zimmer, JT, 1951 - Eastern Andes in central Peru (south of R Marañón).
amethysticollis (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1938) - Eastern Andes in southern Peru and north-western Bolivia.
apurimacensis Weller, 2009 - South-eastern Peru.
violiceps Phelps & Phelps Jr, 1953 - Sierra de Perijá, along Colombia-Venezuela border. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Longuemare's Sunangel (Heliangelus clarisse).
spencei (Bourcier, 1847) - Mérida (north-western Venezuela). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Merida Sunangel (Heliangelus spencei).
clarisse (Longuemare, 1841) - Eastern Andes of Colombia (Norte de Santander to Cundinamarca) and adjacent western Venezuela. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Longuemare's Sunangel (Heliangelus clarisse).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet