Peruvian Racket-tail (f) JCB

The Peruvian racket-tail (''Ocreatus peruanus'') is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.HBW and BirdLife International (2020) ''Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world'' Version 5. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v5_Dec20.zip xls zipped 1 MBretrieved 27 May 2021

Taxonomy and systematics

The Peruvian racket-tail, as defined by the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and the Clements taxonomy, is one of three species in genus ''Ocreatus''. However, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) treats the taxon as one of eight subspecies of booted racket-tail (''O. underwoodii''). The IOC and Clements call ''underwoodii'' "white-booted racket-tail" and assign five subspecies to it.Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved November 10, 2022 The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (SACC) follows the eight-subspecies model of booted racket-tail but has requested a proposal to elevate ''O. puruanus'' and two other subspecies to species status.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved July 24, 2022

Description

All racket-tails have pronounced sexual dimorphism. Only the male has elongated outer rectrices (tail feathers) that have bare shafts with terminal flags. On the Peruvian racket-tail, those feathers are straight and do not cross; the flags are narrow ovals that slightly overlap. Male Peruvian racket-tails are long including the long outer tail feathers, and weigh . Females are long and weigh . Both sexes have greenish upperparts without a glittering forehead, both have a white spot behind the eye, and both have cinnamon leg puffs. Males have a greenish gray throat and a solid green belly. Their tail flags are greenish black. Females have a white throat and breast heavily spotted with green.Schuchmann, K.L. and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Booted Racket-tail (''Ocreatus underwoodii''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.bortai1.01 retrieved 4 May 2022

Distribution and habitat

The Peruvian racket-tail is found in eastern Ecuador and northeastern Peru as far as Huánuco Department. It 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 but is found as low as and as high as .

Behavior

Movement

The Peruvian racket-tail makes seasonal elevational movements after breeding.

Feeding

The Peruvian racket-tail typically forages between 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.

Breeding

The Peruvian racket-tail's breeding season has not been studied but might include most of the year. It makes a tiny cup nest of plant fiber and lichen, typically on a horizontal twig above the ground. The female incubates the clutch of two eggs for 16 to 17 days; fledging occurs 19 to 22 days after hatch.

Vocalization

Both male and female Peruvian racket-tails give "a diagnostic, descending, thin sweet trill, 'ti-tlee-ee-ee' ndsingle 'tsit' and 'trrt' notes."

Status

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. The racket-tail complex as a whole is very common and occurs in several protected areas.

References

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Peruvian racket-tail
Birds of the Peruvian Andes
Peruvian racket-tail
Peruvian racket-tail