Purple Honeycreeper

The Purple Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes caeruleus) is a small Neotropical bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It can be found across the tropical new world, including Trinidad, and from Colombia and Venezuela south to Brazil. On Tobago, a few birds that may have been introduced have been noted.

The purple honeycreeper has a long, decurved, black bill that is 11.5 cm long and weighs 12 g. The male is purple and has brilliant yellow legs, and black wings, tails, and belly. Females and immatures have green upperparts and underparts with green streaks that are yellowish-buff. There is a blue moustachial line and a cinnamon-colored neck. Purple honeycreeper calls with a thin, high-pitched zree sound. Compared to mainland species, the Trinidadian subspecies of C. c. longirostris has a longer bill.