The woodstars are quite different from the other hummers. With a very insect-like flight, they hold themselves horizontally, fly much more deliberately and less jerkily, and do not often perch on the feeders. Purple-throated Woodstars have a white or pale orange spot on their flanks. Males have purple gorgets with a white half-collar, but the whole bird often looks black and white unless it is head on. Eclipse males lose their gorget, but can still be recognised by their dark flanks and long tails, usually held cocked while they drink from the feeders. The females have orange bellies and white or orange throats with various amounts of speckling. Both could be confused with White-bellied Woodstar, but the males of that species are much brighter, with an obvious white oval on the belly and a bluer green color above. Females are more similar, but the White-bellieds have a clean cut white oval on the belly, unlike the smudgy white patch down the middle of some Purple-throateds, and larger white flank spots. Juveniles are similar to females but have rich tawny brown rumps and fringes to the upperparts.

male

female