The Tourmaline Sunangel (Heliangelus exortis) name tourmaline comes from the Singhalese words turn mali - roughly translated means stone with mixed colours, which refers to the colour spectrum of the tourmaline gemstone. Tourmalines change colour according to the light. The Tourmaline Sunangels occur in the Andes of Colombia and on the east slope of the Andes mountain range in adjacent northwestern Ecuador. The Tourmaline Sunangels mostly feed by clinging to flowers with their wings outstretched in a "V" while feeding on nectar taken from a variety of brightly colored, scented small flowers of trees, herbs, shrubs and epiphytes.
