Sparkling Violetear (Colibri corruscans)Unfortunately, the local hummingbirds were all molting

Sparkling Violetear (Colibri corruscans)

Unfortunately, the local hummingbirds were all molting on this visit to the Peruvian cloud forest. That means it’s hard to capture the massive “ear tufts” of violetear hummingbirds like this guy.

Corruscans are some of the largest hummingbirds in the mid-elevation Andes, second only to sicklebills. They flap more like songbirds some of the time, and are fierce defenders of their flower patches.