Buff-winged Starfrontlet vs Coastal Ragweed

Coeligena lutetiae compared with Ambrosia hispida

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Buff-winged Starfrontlet	Coastal Ragweed
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Trochilidae	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Coeligena	Ambrosia
Species	Coeligena lutetiae	Ambrosia hispida

Conservation Status

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

LC — Least Concern

Coastal Ragweed

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Buff-winged Starfrontlet	Coastal Ragweed
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Norway.

Coastal Ragweed

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in Cuba.

Buff-winged Starfrontlet

A large, distinctive hummingbird with iridescent green upper parts and distinctive buff-colored wing patches visible in flight, buff-winged starfrontlets inhabit humid montane forests of Ecuador and southern Colombia at elevations between 1,500–3,600 meters. Males bear a glittering blue-green gorget and iridescent crown. They are primarily nectar feeders at large flowering trees and epiphytic bromeliads. Listed as Least Concern but sensitive to deforestation of Andean cloud forest.

Coastal Ragweed

Coastal ragweed (Ambrosia hispida) is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, native to the coastal dunes, sandy beaches, and cays of Cuba, the Bahamas, and the wider Caribbean region. It grows in pioneer beach and dune vegetation, often forming spreading colonies that help stabilise loose coastal sands. Like other members of the genus Ambrosia, it bears inconspicuous greenish-white flowers arranged in racemes; male flower heads produce wind-dispersed pollen that can trigger allergic rhinitis in sensitive individuals. The deeply lobed, hispid leaves are adapted to reflect intense solar radiation and tolerate salt spray. Coastal ragweed plays an ecological role in early dune succession, binding sand and enabling other plant species to establish. The genus is widespread globally, with several Ambrosia species considered noxious weeds in agricultural settings, though Ambrosia hispida is restricted to its native Caribbean coastal range. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern, reflecting adequate population size across its Caribbean coastal distribution. Pressure from coastal development and tourism infrastructure poses a localised threat to dune communities it inhabits.