Boissonneaua jardini (Velvet-purple Coronet Hummingbird)

Boissonneaua jardini is a hummingbird species native to the humid montane forests of the Andes in Colombia and northern Ecuador, typically ranging in elevation from 5,250 to 9,800 feet. It is most frequently observed in forest edges, clearings with flowering shrubs, and areas around forest lodges where nectar sources are abundant. The species is not migratory and remains in its home range year-round. Its presence is most reliably recorded in protected areas like cloud forest reserves in the Colombian Andes, particularly in departments such as Antioquia and Caldas.

It is considered fairly common within suitable habitats, and its conservation status is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

This bird is characterized by metallic green upperparts with a bronzy crown, and it has a contrasting rufous tail edged with golden-buff tips and blackish subterminal bars. The underparts are green with a scaled appearance, and the undertail coverts are white. One of the distinctive behaviors observed in Boissonneaua jardini is its habit of momentarily raising and fanning its wings after landing, revealing the rufous coloration—an action shared with other species in the same genus.

It perches conspicuously and feeds at a variety of flowering shrubs and epiphytes, primarily using hovering flight, but also makes short sallies to capture small insects midair. The species is highly territorial and returns to established feeding spots.