Puffleg

Puffleg

The pufflegs are hummingbirds from the genera Eriocnemis and Haplophaedia. They occur in humid forest, woodland and shrub at altitudes of 1000 to 4800 m. asl in the Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. The males have a colorful green, coppery or blue plumage, and the females are generally somewhat duller. The most striking feature of both sexes are their dense snow-white leg-puffs which consist of feather tufts that resemble woolly panties. One species - the Black-thighed Puffleg - is characterized by black coloured leg-puffs, and another - the Buff-thighed Puffleg - has lightly buff-tinged leg-puffs. Further common features of all species are the straight black bill and the slightly to deeply forked tail. The membes of the genus Haplophaedia are generally duller than the members of Eriocnemis.
While most pufflegs remain fairly common, three species (Colorful Puffleg, Black-breasted Puffleg and Gorgeted Puffleg) are critically endangered and one (the Turquoise-throated Puffleg) is possibly extinct.