White-bellied Hummingbird

The white-bellied hummingbird is 9 to 12 cm (3.5 to 4.7 in) long. Males weigh 4.9 to 6.7 g (0.17 to 0.24 oz) and females 4.5 to 6 g (0.16 to 0.21 oz). Both sexes of both subspecies have a medium length straight bill with a blackish maxilla and a reddish mandible with a dark tip. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have brilliant light green upperparts, sides, and chest. Their undersides are whitish from the chin to the undertail coverts with golden-green spots on the sides of the throat and sometimes some green on the coverts. Their tail feathers are brilliant grayish green to golden green; the outer ones have white inner webs. Adult females are very similar to males, but with a light cream chin and throat that are more heavily spotted. Juveniles are similar to adult females with the cream of the throat extending to the belly. Both sexes of subspecies E. c. hypoleuca have creamy rather than white underparts and the white of the outer tail feather webs is reduced. Females also have white ends to the outer three pairs of tail feathers.

The nominate subspecies of white-bellied hummingbird is found on the east slope of the Peruvian Andes between the departments of Amazonas and Cuzco. E. c. hypoleuca is found on the east slope from Puno Department in far southeastern Peru south through Bolivia into northwestern Argentina to La Rioja Province and east into the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. The species inhabits semi-open landscapes such as forest edges, secondary forest, shrublands, cerrado, plantations, and gardens. It favors relatively dry areas having Cactaceae, Agave, or groves of Alnus or Eucalyptus. In elevation it is found mostly between 450 and 2,000 m (1,500 and 6,600 ft) and occasionally as high as 2,800 m (9,200 ft).

The white-bellied hummingbird forages for nectar at a wide variety of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees. Species of at least eight families have been documented as sources. In addition to nectar it feeds on small insects.