Buff-winged Starfrontlet

In Ecuador, the Buff-winged Starfrontlet inhabits humid montane forests, elfin woodlands, and páramo edges on both slopes of the Andes, typically between 2,600 and 4,800 meters, with peak abundance around 3,000 meters. It is a year-round resident, generally sedentary but known to shift locally in response to flowering cycles, and remains fairly common despite habitat pressures; the IUCN currently lists it as Least Concern. Males are striking with velvety black plumage and glittering green foreheads, while both sexes share the namesake buff wing patches and a preference for tubular flowers, which they defend vigorously from rivals. This species plays a vital role in high-elevation pollination networks and is especially associated with cloud forest ecosystems in northwestern Ecuador, where the subspecies C. l. albimaculata occurs.