Peruvian racket-tail

Peruvian racket-tail
	Male in eastern Ecuador
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Trochilidae
Genus:	Ocreatus
Species:	O. peruanus
Binomial name
	Ocreatus peruanus; (Gould, 1849)

The Peruvian racket-tail (Ocreatus peruanus) is a species of hummingbird. It is found on the east slope of the Andes in Ecuador and northeastern Peru. [1] It previously was considered conspecific with the white-booted racket-tail and the rufous-booted racket-tail, together called the booted racket-tail. In fact, many taxonomic authorities, including the American Ornithological Society, continue to lump the species together.

Description

Peruvian Racket-tails have pronounced sexual dimorphism (sexes have different plumage). Only the male has elongated racket-shaped outer rectrices (tail feathers) that are about 7 to 7.5 cm long. These tail feathers have bare shafts with long terminal oval shaped flags that have blunted ends. In perching birds, the rackets are held parallel with a slight overlap of the flags. Both sexes are shining green above with a small white postocular spot. The underparts of the male are also shining green with an iridescent green throat patch that can be seen in good light. The female has white underparts with many large dark green spots, and its black tail has white tips. Both sexes have cinnamon colored leg puffs (booties), although the male's are longer and fluffier. [2]

Female in eastern Ecuador

References

History, Field Museum of Natural; Hellmayr, Carl Eduard; Conover, Boardman; Cory, Charles Barney (1918-01-01). Catalogue of Birds of the Americas and the Adjacent Islands in Field Museum of Natural History: Including All Species and Subspecies Known to Occur in North America, Mexico, Central America, South America, the West Indies, and Islands of the Caribbean Sea, the Galapagos Archipelago, and Other Islands which May Properly be Included on Account of Their Faunal Affinities. Field Museum of Natural History. p. 260. Peruvian racket-tail -wikipedia.
Schuchmann, Karl-L.; Weller, André-A.; Jürgens, Dietmar (2016). "Biogeography and taxonomy of racket-tail hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae: Ocreatus): Evidence for species delimitation from morphology and display behavior". Zootaxa. 4200 (1): 83. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4200.1.3. PMID 27988640.

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[1] History, Field Museum of Natural; Hellmayr, Carl Eduard; Conover, Boardman; Cory, Charles Barney (1918-01-01). Catalogue of Birds of the Americas and the Adjacent Islands in Field Museum of Natural History: Including All Species and Subspecies Known to Occur in North America, Mexico, Central America, South America, the West Indies, and Islands of the Caribbean Sea, the Galapagos Archipelago, and Other Islands which May Properly be Included on Account of Their Faunal Affinities. Field Museum of Natural History. p. 260. Peruvian racket-tail -wikipedia.

[2] Schuchmann, Karl-L.; Weller, André-A.; Jürgens, Dietmar (2016). "Biogeography and taxonomy of racket-tail hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae: Ocreatus): Evidence for species delimitation from morphology and display behavior". Zootaxa. 4200 (1): 83. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4200.1.3. PMID 27988640.