| White-booted racket-tail | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Strisores |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Genus: | Ocreatus |
| Species: | O. underwoodii |
| Binomial name | |
| Ocreatus underwoodii (Lesson, 1832) | |
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The white-booted racket-tail (Ocreatus underwoodii) is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. [3] [4]
The white-booted racket-tail, as defined by the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and the Clements taxonomy, has five subspecies. They both include two more species in genus Ocreatus, the Peruvian racket-tail (O. peruanus) and the Rufous-booted racket-tail (O. addae). [3] However, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) assigns the name "booted racket-tail" to O. underwoodii and includes those two taxa as subspecies of it. HBW also includes an eighth subspecies, O. u. annae. [5] The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (SACC) follows the eight-subspecies model but has requested a proposal to elevate puruanus, addae, and annae to species status. [6]
The five subspecies recognized by the IOC are: [3]
All racket-tails have pronounced sexual dimorphism. Only the male has elongated outer rectrices (tail feathers). These tail feathers have bare shafts with long terminal oval flags. In all five subspecies of white-booted racket-tail those feathers are straight and do not cross; the flags slightly overlap. Both sexes of all have greenish upperparts without a glittering forehead, and all have white leg puffs. Males have a greenish gray throat and a solid green belly. Male white-booted racket-tails are 11 to 15 cm (4.3 to 5.9 in) long including the 7 to 8 cm (2.8 to 3.1 in) long outer tail feathers, and weigh 2.5 to 2.7 g (0.088 to 0.095 oz). Females are 7.6 to 9 cm (3.0 to 3.5 in) long and weigh 2.6 to 3.2 g (0.092 to 0.11 oz). [7] [8]
The subspecies of male white-booted racket-tails differ in the color and shape of the tail flags; females differ in the pattern of green spots on their white throat and belly. These differences are: [7]
The subspecies of white-booted racket-tail are found thus: [3] [8]
The white-booted racket-tail inhabits the temperate and subtropical Andes. It favors the edges of humid to wet forest but is also found in the forest interior and in more open secondary forest. It is most numerous at elevations between 1,600 and 2,200 m (5,200 and 7,200 ft) but is found as low as 600 m (2,000 ft) and as high as 4,000 m (13,000 ft). [8]
The white-booted racket-tail makes seasonal elevational movements after breeding. [8]
The white-booted racket-tail typically forages between 6 and 18 m (20 and 60 ft) above the ground. It takes nectar from a variety of plants such as those of genera Palicourea, Clusia, Inga, and Cavendishia. Often several birds will feed close together. In addition to feeding on nectar it captures small insects by hawking from a perch. [8]
The white-booted racket-tail breeds at least between January and April in Colombia but probably breeds at any time during the year. It makes a tiny cup nest of plant fiber and lichen, typically on a horizontal twig 6 to 8 m (20 to 30 ft) above the ground. The female incubates the clutch of two eggs for 16 to 17 days; fledging occurs 19 to 22 days after hatch. [8]
Both male and female white-booted racket-tails give "a diagnostic, descending, thin sweet trill, 'ti-tlee-ee-ee' [and] single 'tsit' and 'trrt' notes." [8]
The IUCN follows HBW taxonomy and so recognizes only one species of Ocreatus as the booted racket-tail. It has assessed the species as being of Least Concern. It has a large range, and though its population size is not known it is believed to be stable. No immediate threats are known. [1] It is a very common species and occurs in several protected areas. [8]
The long-billed hermit is a bird in the family Trochilidae, the hummingbirds. It is found from central Mexico south through Central America, Colombia and Ecuador into Peru.
The green thorntail is a small hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama.
The bronze-tailed plumeleteer is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The steely-vented hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
The violet-tailed sylph is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
The booted racket-tails are a small group of hummingbirds in the genus Ocreatus that was long considered to have only one species, O. underwoodii. They are native to cloud forest edges in the South American Andes and Maritime Andes. They are relatively small and primarily iridescent green with white or rufous-buff leg-puffs ("boots"). The leg-puffs are more conspicuous in males, which also have a pair of dark bluish racket-shaped extensions to the tail.
The long-tailed sylph is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The green-fronted hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Mexico and possibly Guatemala.
The white-vented plumeleteer is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
The short-tailed emerald is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. It has also been called Poortman's emerald hummingbird.
The golden-tailed sapphire is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The emerald-bellied puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in the subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The violet-fronted brilliant is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Humboldt's sapphire or Humboldt's hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.
The mountain velvetbreast is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The shining-green hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
The scaly-breasted hummingbird or scaly-breasted sabrewing is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The crowned woodnymph or violet-crowned woodnymph is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from Belize and Guatemala to northern Peru.
The Peruvian racket-tail is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
The rufous-booted racket-tail is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Bolivia and Peru.
