Trinidad: Purple Honeycreeper - Cyanerpes caeruleus

The Purple Honeycreeper, Cyanerpes caeruleus longirostrisis, is a small tanager species that is both common and unmistakeable. The blue-purple color of the body of the male is nicely complimented by the black of the wing, mask and throat. The blazing yellow feet led some to call it the Yellow-legged Honeycreeper. In the second photo the male has probably just finished bathing and has yet to smooth his feathers - he almost looks like a different species!

The female is also quite attractive, with her green back, streaked underparts, buffy face and throat, and pretty blue-purple mustachial stripe. There are 5 subspecies of the Purple, ranging south to Brazil and Peru. This long-billed subspecies, C. c. longirostris, is found only in Trinidad.

As mentioned before, the Honeycreepers are nectar specialists, but the Purple Honeycreeper also uses the long curved bill to pierce fruits to suck the juice. The Purple also eats insects and small berries such as from the Trema tree.