Empress Brilliant

In Ecuador, the Empress Brilliant is confined to the humid cloud forests of the northwestern Andes, particularly in Pichincha Province, where it inhabits lush, epiphyte-laden forest interiors and edges between 400 and 2,000 meters. Though its range is relatively narrow and vulnerable to deforestation, it remains locally common and is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. This large, thick-billed hummingbird feeds primarily on nectar from Marcgravia vines and Ericaceae flowers, foraging from the mid-story to canopy and supplementing its diet with small insects gleaned from foliage or caught mid-air. Breeding occurs from January to April, with females constructing moss-lined nests and raising young alone in the misty understory.