Trochilidae

Eriocnemis nigrivestis
Black-breasted Puffleg
Zwartborstpluimbroekje (Dutch)

ZMA 38603
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Critically Endangered or Extinct A highly localised hummingbird, once occurring in the upper forest and scrub zone at 3000-5000 m on the Pichincha and Atacazo volcanoes (NW Ecuador), but by 1997-1998 only known to survive on the northern ridge crest of the Pichincha volcano, and even here it was likely to be rare as it was seldom encountered. Much of the decline was caused by the cutting of the original elfin vegetation, and the ridge crests were found to be largely devoid of natural vegetation by 1997-1998. Considerable ash-fall occurred in the area after the eruption of the volcano in 1999, probably with devastating effects on the species.

Items in the ZMA - 4 birds:
ZMA 38603-38606 Adult males, 2 Mar, 2 & 15 May, & 5 Jun 1929, Cerro/Mt. Pichincha (0°09'S, 78°36'W), at 4000-5000 m, Ecuador, coll. Dr Spillmann 1520, 1529, 1535 & 1557, skins.

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