The turquoise-throated puffleg, also known as Godin's puffleg, is a species of hummingbird from Ecuador. It is mostly green with blue undertail coverts and white powder-puffs of downy feathers on the legs, and the male has a bluish-purple throat patch. It is only known from a few specimens taken in the nineteenth century and its taxonomic position is unclear. The type of habitat in which the type species was obtained has largely disappeared, and recent surveys trying to find this bird have failed. The International Union for Conservation of Nature believes it may be extinct, but there is a possibility that some individuals remain, so the bird has been rated as "critically endangered".
Region
Western Andes of Ecuador
Typical Environment
Historically associated with humid foothill and lower montane forests and edges where tubular flowers are abundant. It likely used mature forest margins, second growth, and riparian corridors that concentrate floral resources. Clearings with flowering shrubs and trees would have been important for nectar feeding. Extensive deforestation and habitat conversion in western Ecuador have removed much of this habitat, which may explain its disappearance.
Altitude Range
unknown
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This elusive hummingbird is known only from a handful of 19th‑century specimens collected in western Ecuador. It has distinctive fluffy white leg “puffs” and a male with a shimmering turquoise‑to‑violet throat. Its taxonomic status has been debated, with some suggesting it could be a hybrid, but it is generally treated as a valid species. Severe habitat loss likely drove its decline, and it is assessed as Critically Endangered, possibly extinct.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Like most hummingbirds, it was likely solitary outside of breeding and defended rich nectar sources vigorously. Males probably performed aerial displays to attract females. Nests, if similar to congeners, would have been small cup structures attached to horizontal branches or sheltered stems.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations likely consisted of thin, high chips and short, dry trills rather than a complex song. The whirring of the wings would have been a prominent acoustic cue during close flight and display.
