Ecuadorian Piedtail

The Ecuadorian piedtail (Phlogophilus hemileucurus) is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Taxonomy and systematics: The Ecuadorian piedtail shares its genus with the Peruvian piedtail (P. harterti). It is monotypic.

 The Ecuadorian piedtail is long and weighs . The adult male and female are alike. They have a short, straight, black bill with a yellowish base. Their crown is greenish brown and the rest of the upperparts grass green. They have a white spot behind the eye. The throat and breast are white with green spots with a white band separating them. The belly is whitish. The innermost pair of tail feathers are blue-green; the others are blue with white bases and broad white tips. Juveniles resemble the adults but their head and neck feathers have buff fringes.

Distribution and habitat: The Ecuadorian piedtail is found in the eastern foothills of the Andes from Colombia´s Putumayo and Cauca departments south through eastern Ecuador into northeastern Peru´s departments of San Martín and Loreto. It inhabits primary forest edges and secondary forest at elevations between 500 and.

Movement: The Ecuadorian piedtail is mostly sedentary but local altitudinal movements are believed to be likely.

Feeding: The Ecuadorian piedtail typically forages between 2 and above the ground. It perches to take nectar from flowers and to glean small insects from foliage.

Breeding: The Ecuadorian piedtail´s breeding season spans from December to April. The typical nest is a cup of fine rootlets and fern leaf placed 2 to above the ground. It is sited in vines or under overhanging thickets. The clutch size is two eggs.

Vocalization: The Ecuadorian piedtail´s song is "a series of typically three high-pitched buzzy notes...followed by several twittering notes ´tzeeeee...tzeee.tzew..tititititi´, continuously repeated." Its calls include "a descending series of 3–4 high-pitched ´see´ notes..., a repeated ´tsik´ note and high-pitched twittering."

Status: The IUCN assesses the Ecuadorian piedtail as least concern. "Much of its habitat is under intense pressure from agriculture and cattle pasture, low-intensity farming, tea and coffee growing, mining operations and logging."