Purple-crowned Fairy Heliothryx barroti

Due to their inquisitive nature, Purple-crowned Fairies are reasonably easy to observe. These busy hummingbirds often pause in front of a human audience before going back to foraging. They frequently open and close their long tails and cock them up when hovering at flowers. Purple-crowned Fairies routinely pierce the base of flowers with their straight, pointed bills and steal nectar without actually pollinating the plant. These elegant hummingbirds are pure white below and have a dark mask through the eye. They inhabit humid and wet forests and second growth woodlands and are often fairly aggressive even though they are not territorial.