Black-breasted puffleg

Description

The Black-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis) is an endemic species of Ecuador,found only in the temperate forests of the western face of the Pichincha volcano and the Atacazo secto,between 2800 and 3500 meters high.This species reaches between 8 and 9 cm,and presents a certain sexual dimorphism: the male exhibits a noticeable black coloration in the chest,unlike the female.A striking feature of this species (and in general of the genus Eriocnemis ) is the presence of zamarros.The zamarros are a pair of abundant white down on the thighs of the hummingbird,present in both sexes.It does not present characteristic vocalizations,in general it is silent.However,sometimes it can emit a monotonous and metallic "tseet tseet tseet" when it flies.