Chilean woodstar
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The Chilean woodstar (''Eulidia yarrellii'') is a Critically Endangered species of hummingbird in tribe
Mellisugini Mellisugini is one of the three tribes that make up the subfamily Trochilinae in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. The other two tribes in the subfamily are Lampornithini (mountain gems) and Trochilini (emeralds). The informal name "bees" has ...
of subfamily
Trochilinae Trochilinae is one of the six subfamilies that make up the hummingbird family Trochilidae. The subfamily is divided into three tribes: Lampornithini (mountain gems) containing 18 species, Mellisugini (bees) containing 37 species and Trochili ...
, the "bee hummingbirds". It is the only species placed in the
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''Eulidia''. It is
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
though there are unconfirmed reports from southern
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
.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 2021Remsen, 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. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved July 24, 2022


Taxonomy and systematics

The Chilean woodstar has at times been placed in genus ''Myrtis'' with the purple-collared woodstar (''M. fanny'') but that treatment has little current (2022) support. The species is the only one in its genus and has no subspecies.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

The Chilean woodstar is long and weighs . It is the smallest bird in Chile. Both sexes have a short black bill. The adult male is iridescent olive green above and white below. Its
gorget A gorget , from the French ' meaning throat, was a band of linen wrapped around a woman's neck and head in the medieval period or the lower part of a simple chaperon hood. The term later described a steel or leather collar to protect the th ...
is reddish-purple and blue, but often appears blackish. The central tail feathers are very short and green; the outer ones are longer, blackish brown, and curve inwards. Females are also olive green above but are mostly very pale buff below, darkest on the belly and thighs. Their tail is short and slightly graduated with green central feathers; the outer ones are black with buff bases and wide white tips. Immature males are similar to the female, but have a mottled throat and may have elongated outer tail feathers.Schuchmann, K.L., G. M. Kirwan, and C. J. Sharpe (2020). Chilean Woodstar (''Eulidia yarrellii''), 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.chiwoo1.01 retrieved July 25, 2022Schulenberg, Thomas S.; Stotz, Douglas F.; Lane, Daniel F.; O'Neill John P. & Parker, Theodore A. III (2007) ''Field Guide to the Birds of Peru'', Christopher Helm, London. The Peruvian sheartail (''Thaumastura cora''), which shares the Chilean woodstar's range and outnumbers it there, is very similar to the Chilean woodstar. However, the male sheartail has two elongated white feathers in its tail, while the female tends to have a whiter belly and a more buff throat than the woodstar. In contrast to the sheartail, the woodstar usually flies with its tail cocked and seldom pumps its tail.Jaramillo, Alvaro; Burke, Peter & Beadle, David (2003) ''Field Guide to the Birds of Chile'', Christopher Helm, London.


Distribution and habitat

The Chilean woodstar is now (2022) known only from the Lluta, Azapa, and Vitor valleys of far northern Chile's
Arica and Parinacota Region The Arica y Parinacota Region ( es, link=no, Región de Arica y Parinacota ) is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. It comprises two provinces, Arica and Parinacota. It borders Peru's Department of Tacna to the north, Boliv ...
. There is an historical record further south in Antofagasta Province. There are also undocumented sight records in Peru in the
Tacna Region Tacna (; Aymara & Quechua: Taqna) is the southernmost department and region in Peru. The Chilean Army occupied the present-day Tacna Department during the War of the Pacific from 1885 to 1929 when it was reincorporated into Peruvian soil. Geogr ...
and possibly
Moquegua Region Moquegua () is a department and region in southern Peru that extends from the coast to the highlands. Its capital is the city of Moquegua, which is among the main Peruvian cities for its high rates of GDP and national education. Geography The ...
; the South American Classification Committee of the
American Ornithological Society The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is an ornithological organization based in the United States. The society was formed in October 2016 by the merger of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) and the Cooper Ornithological Society. Its m ...
considers the species "hypothetical" in that country. The Chilean woodstar inhabits scrub, thickets, and gardens along river valleys of the arid Arica area. In elevation it generally ranges between . It is most common below but there is a small population at around in the Vitor Valley and there are single records as high as .


Behavior


Movement

The Chilean woodstar is believed to be mostly sedentary. However, the records up to 3000 m suggest that they make elevational migration, and further suggest that continuous vegetation along the river valleys is necessary for those movements.


Feeding

The Chilean woodstar feeds on nectar from a variety of native and introduced flowers, shubs, cacti, and trees. Native plants include ''Inga feulles'', ''Geoffroea decorticans'', and ''Schinus molle''. Examples of introduced nectar sources are ''
Lantana ''Lantana'' () is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in ...
'', ''
Hibiscus ''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species ...
'' and ''
Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
'' species. It tends to forage alone, but there are historical records of large numbers feeding at flowering trees. In addition to nectar, the woodstar feeds on small insects such as Hymenoptera,
Homoptera Homoptera is a suborder of order Hemiptera that is considered by some taxonomists to be paraphyletic, and therefore deprecated (obsolete). It was therefore split into the suborders Sternorrhyncha, Auchenorrhyncha, and Coleorrhyncha. The earlier w ...
and Coleoptera that it catches on the wing.


Breeding

There are Chilean woodstar nesting records from May, August, and September. Those and the dates that juveniles and incomplete nests have been recorded suggest that the species nests twice a year or perhaps at any time of year. Most of the documented nests have been in olive trees (''Olea europaea'') at heights around above the ground. A few have been found in native shrubs and ornamental trees. Nothing else is known about the species' breeding phenology.


Vocalization

The Chilean woodstar's call is a series of rasping "tsick" notes, quieter and "less musical" than the call of the Peruvian sheartail. The male has a high-pitched, buzzing "zrrrrrrr" display call.


Status and conservation

The IUCN originally assessed the Chilean woodstar in 1988 as Threatened. It was progressively moved through classifications of greater peril until being declared Critically Endangered in 2014, where it remains. It has a greatly restricted area of occupancy of about and an estimated population of only 210 mature individuals or about 300 total. It was very common in the early 20th century and even by the 1980s more than 100 could be seen feeding in a single tree. The population has hugely declined since then, with estimates of 1500 individuals in 2003, 1200 in 2007, and 500 in 2012. Habitat loss is the main threat to the Chilean woodstar, with only small patches of suitable native vegetation remaining due to increased conversion to agriculture. The effect of pesticides and competition with the Peruvian sheartail are possible threats, but this has not yet been proven. Hybridization with the much more numerous sheartail is another potential threat. A species recovery plan was approved in 2004 which included plans for monitoring the population, restoring natural vegetation, studying competition with the Peruvian sheartail, and the possibility of reintroducing the birds in areas of their former range.


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q657365 Hummingbirds Endemic birds of Chile Atacama Desert Critically endangered animals Critically endangered biota of South America Birds described in 1847 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot