White-booted racket-tail

The white-booted racket-tail (Ocreatus underwoodii) is a species of hummingbird. It is found in the Andean cordillera of northern Venezuela, western Colombia, and on the eastern slope of the Andes in Ecuador. Long considered the only species in the monotypic genus Ocreatus,[2] the bird is now sometimes split into three species, the white-booted racket-tail, the Peruvian racket-tail, and the rufous-booted racket-tail. Some taxonomists, such as the American Ornithological Society, continue to lump all the species together, calling it the booted racket-tail.

White-booted racket-tail

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Ocreatus
Species:
O. underwoodii
Binomial name
Ocreatus underwoodii
(Lesson, 1832)

Description

Racket-tails have pronounced sexual dimorphism (sexes have different plumage). Only the male has elongated outer rectrices (tail feathers) that are about 7.5 to 9 cm long. These tail feathers have bare shafts with long terminal oval shaped flags that have pointed 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 white colored leg puffs (booties), although the male's are longer and fluffier.[3]

northwest slope of the Andes in Ecuador showing its iridescent green throat patch and oval shaped flags at the end of its outer tail feathers

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Ocreatus underwoodii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Hilty, S. L. Birds of Venezuela, Ed. 2. Princeton University Press, 2002. pg. 429.
  3. 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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