description Purple-throated Woodstar Overview
The purple-throated woodstar, Philodice mitchellii, is a small hummingbird of humid and montane forests in western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. Adult males have a brilliant purple throat, green upperparts, and a deeply forked tail, while females are less iridescent and have paler underparts. Like other woodstars, it feeds on flower nectar and small arthropods and is adapted for hovering flight while visiting blossoms.
help Purple-throated Woodstar FAQ
Where does the Purple-throated Woodstar live?
Philodice mitchellii occurs mainly in humid and montane forests of western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador, with some range references extending into eastern Panama. It is associated with cloud-forest edges and secondary growth ([Birds of Colombia](https://birdsofcolombia.com/pages/wvlo1)).
How do male and female Purple-throated Woodstars differ?
Males show a brilliant purple throat, green upperparts, and a deeply forked tail. Females are less iridescent and do not show the same strong purple throat ([Birds of Colombia](https://birdsofcolombia.com/pages/wvlo1)).
How can it be confused with the Amethyst Woodstar?
Both are tiny South American woodstars with purple on the male, but the Purple-throated Woodstar is tied to the northern Andes and is listed as Philodice mitchellii. The Amethyst Woodstar has a wider South American range and is commonly listed as Calliphlox amethystina ([eBird](https://ebird.org/species/putwoo1/CO-CAL)).
What does the Purple-throated Woodstar eat and where does it feed?
It feeds on flower nectar and small insects in cloud forests, forest borders, and secondary forest. In Colombia it is reported around roughly 700 to 2,200 metres and may forage alone in the canopy ([Birds of Colombia](https://birdsofcolombia.com/pages/wvlo1)).
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