Violet Tailed Sylph

Copyright: monacoeye • Santa Lucia, Ecuador • Feb 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Violet Tailed Sylph
Latin: Aglaiocercus coelestis
Other: Silfo colivioleta (Es)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Colombia, Ecuador
Similar: Long-tailed Sylph

The male (above) Violet-tailed Sylph has this fabulous long violet tail. Guides love to point them out. Look a Violet-tailed Sylph! Thanks, even I managed to recognise that one… Fortunately where I saw them - Santa Lucia, Milpe, Mindo - there appeared to be no Long-tailed Sylphs to confuse the issue (they have green-blue tails). Male Violet-tailed Sylphs (only in NW ?) have purple bibs.

Females (below) look quite different: no long tail, white chest, peach-coloured belly, speckled throat, but same short bill. Some males have shorter tails - there’s an example in more photos.

Violet-tailed Sylphs were quite abundant at feeders in mountainous, forested areas of northwest Ecuador, and also often seen in the forest.

Directly below, a female Violet-tailed Sylph in northwest Ecuador.