Photo: Mmcnally / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Buff-tailed Coronet
Boissonneaua flavescens
Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) — Hummingbirds of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) is a member of the Trochilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 8.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Trochilidae Hummingbirds
- Genus Boissonneaua
- Species flavescens
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.2 g
- Diet
- Nectar-feeders
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Buff-tailed Coronet is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Buff-tailed Coronet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) is a species of bird in the Trochilidae family, part of the order Apodiformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Venezuela to Ecuador.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.2 g, with a wing length of about 7.5 cm and a tail of around 4.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 129,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Buff-tailed Coronet?
The Buff-tailed Coronet is a very small bird that weighs around 8.2 g.
Where does the Buff-tailed Coronet live?
The Buff-tailed Coronet is found across South America with a range covering SA Venezuela to Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Buff-tailed Coronet belong to?
The Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) belongs to the Trochilidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Buff-tailed Coronet eat?
The Buff-tailed Coronet is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Does the Buff-tailed Coronet migrate?
The Buff-tailed Coronet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Buff-tailed Coronet endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Buff-tailed Coronet make?
1 real field recording of the Buff-tailed Coronet — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Buff-tailed Coronet's range?
The Buff-tailed Coronet has a mapped global range of about 129,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Hummingbird Feeders
How to choose a hummingbird feeder — the two main styles compared, the right sugar-water mix, and how to keep it clean so the birds stay safe. A decision framework with the hummingbird species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Trochilidae
A field guide to the Trochilidae family — 366 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.