Purple Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes caeruleus)

Purple Honeycreeper
Cyanerpes caeruleus

The Purple Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes caeruleus) occurs across a wide range in the jungles and forests of the northern two thirds of South America. This species probes into flowers for nectar but also may eat small fruits. The shots here were taken about 80 feet above the forest floor along a canopy walkway at the Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies (ACTS), near the Rio Napo, Departmento de Loreto, Peru, in July, 2006. The images were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 500 mm F/4 L IS lens and 1.4X extender. The first shot is a male while the next shot shows a female.