Scientific Name: Heliothryx barroti

Flashy, rather large hummingbird of humid tropical lowlands. Favors forest edges, adjacent clearings with scattered trees and flowering bushes, and gardens. Feeds at all levels, but often in the canopy, hovering with its tail cocked and frequently flashed open to show extensive white. Note the gleaming snow-white underparts, brilliant emerald-green upperparts, and flashy white outer tail feathers. Bill is medium-length, black, and sharply pointed (often pierces flower bases to get nectar). Sexes similar overall, but female lacks purple crown of male, which can be hard to see, and has a longer tail.

The Purple-crowned Fairy is a dazzling sight in the dappled sunlight of tropical forests, moving gracefully among blossoms with rapid, darting movements. Its delicate flight and gleaming colors make it seem almost ethereal, like a living jewel suspended in air. Though small, it is bold in defending its feeding territories from other hummingbirds and insects. When resting, it often perches quietly on thin branches, its pure white breast shining against the greenery, a brief still moment amid the constant motion of the forest.