The blue-capped puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs in the humid montane forests of southern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina, especially in Yungas cloud forests. It favors forest edges, clearings, shrubby ravines, and secondary growth with abundant flowering plants. The species also visits gardens and roadside thickets where suitable nectar sources are available. It often moves along elevational gradients following blooms.
Altitude Range
1500–3500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named for the fluffy white feather tufts on its legs, the blue-capped puffleg is a medium-sized Andean hummingbird with a striking iridescent blue crown in males. It frequents flower-rich edges and clearings of humid montane forests and often defends nectar patches aggressively. The species makes a tiny cup nest bound with spider silk and camouflaged with moss.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with sustained hovering; quick darting flights between flowers
Social Behavior
Usually solitary away from breeding, it defends rich flower patches against other hummingbirds. The nest is a tiny cup made of plant down and spider silk, often decorated with moss and lichen on a sheltered branch or bank. Typical clutch size is two white eggs, with the female performing most nesting duties.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are high, thin chips and buzzy tseet notes delivered intermittently while foraging or during chases. Wing hum is audible at close range and can intensify during territorial flights.
Plumage
Iridescent green body with conspicuous white leg puffs; males show a shining blue crown and darker, slightly notched bluish-green tail. Females are duller with less extensive crown coloration and may show paler underparts with green spangling. Both sexes have a straight, slender black bill typical of hummingbirds.
Diet
Feeds mainly on nectar from a variety of tubular flowers, including shrubs and small trees common in Yungas habitats. It supplements its diet with small insects and spiders captured in flight or gleaned from foliage, providing essential proteins. The species tracks seasonal blooms and may shift elevation to exploit floral resources.
Preferred Environment
Forages along forest edges, in second growth, and in shrubby clearings where flowers are abundant. It visits flowering hedgerows, riparian thickets, and occasionally gardens with suitable nectar plants.
