The Sunangels (genus: Heliangelus) are South American hummingbirds that are typically associated with mountain areas.
The common name was derived from:
- “helios” – Greek for sun or light
- “angelos” Greek or “angelus” Latin for angels
This genus contains the following species:
- Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis) – Range: Eastern Andes in southern Peru and northwestern Bolivia.
- Heliangelus amethysticollis laticlavius (Salvin, 1891) – Range: Southern Ecuador and northern Peru – north and west of Marañón Valley
- Heliangelus amethysticollis decolor (Zimmer, 1951) – Range: Eastern Andes in central Peru (south of the Marañón river).
- Longuemare’s Sunangel (Heliangelus clarisse) – Range: Eastern Andes of Colombia and adjacent western Venezuela
- Heliangelus clarisse spencei (Bourcier, 1847) – Originally considered a separate species – Range: Northwestern Venezuela. [Heliangelus clarisse violiceps (Phelps and Phelps, Jr., 1953 / 1959 ?)] – considered an invalid species by some authorities – Range: Sierra de Perijá mountain range, along Colombia-Venezuela border
- Tourmaline Sunangel (Heliangelus exortis) – Range: Colombia and Ecuador
- Orange-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus mavors) – Range: Colombia and Venezuela
- Flame-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus micraster) – Range: Along the eastern Andean slope of southeastern Ecuador and adjacent northern Peru
- Heliangelus micraster cutervensis (Simon, 1921) – Range: Northwestern Peru (Cajamarca).
- Royal Sunangel (Heliangelus regalis) – Range: Northern Peru and adjacent south-eastern Ecuador.
- Heliangelus regalis johnsoni – Range: Ecuador
- Purple-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus viola) – Range: Ecuador and Peru
- Gorgeted Sunangel (Heliangelus strophianus) – Range: Colombia and northwestern Ecuador
- [Bogotá Sunangel (Heliangelus zusii)] – According to DNA testing, these hummingbirds are actually more closely related to the Sylph hummingbirds. – Range: Colombia (? exact location undetermined)
Hummingbird Resources
- Hummingbird Information
- Hummingbird Amazing Facts
- Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden
- Hummingbird Species
- Feeding Hummingbirds
