#Peruvian racket-tail

[wayti-blog]

The Peruvian racket-tail (Ocreatus peruanus)

A species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru (x).

[rondaincorporated]

Hummingbird Species, Part 194

Today we examine the Peruvian racket-tail, Ocreatus peruanus. The Peruvian Racket-tail Hummingbird, scientifically known as Ocreatus peruanus, is a captivating and enigmatic bird species native to the Andean highlands of South America, particularly in the countries of Peru and Ecuador. This striking bird is renowned for its unique physical features and intriguing behavior, making it a…

[wingedjewels]

Peruvian-booted Racket-tail.jpg by Leon Burda Via Flickr: Peruvian-booted Racket-tail

[herpsandbirds]

Peruvian Racket-tail (Ocreatus peruanus), male, family Trochilidae, order Apodiformes, Ecuador

Some ornithologists consider the Peruvian Racket-tail to be a subspecies ofthe Booted Racket-tail, O. underoodii.

photograph by James Gan

[best-bird-tournament]

Booted racket-tail (Ocreatus)

[sprinklecipher]

Ranking Every Hummingbird Species Name Based on How Much It Sounds like a Fairy

One thing I love about hummingbirds is that they have absolutely adorable species names, so I thought it would be fun to rate how well each of those cute names would suit a fairy (either like an individual fairy character or a race of fairy beings)

Basically, I went through all 366 hummingbird species listed on Wikipedia and sorted them into tiers based on how fairy-ish the vibes were for each species name

When making my judgments I omitted the word “hummingbird” from any species that included it (surprisingly few, tbh), and changed possessive nouns to their non-possessive form

tier list (and cute hummingbird photos!) below the cut

Tier 5. Not fairy names at all

These names don’t work as fairy names at all, often because if you take out the word “hummingbird” they are just a non-fairylike adjective or random noun. A lot of them clearly evoke a specific, non-fairy thing

Sample names:

Oaxaca hummingbird <- that’s just a place

Bee hummingbird <- just bug

Green mango <- literally a fruit

Tier 5 list: Red-billed emerald; Grey-bellied comet; Veraguan mango; Hispaniolan mango; Purple-throated carib; Peruvian racket-tail; Fiery-throated hummingbird; Antillean crested hummingbird; Green-throated carib; Black-tailed trainbearer; Green-tailed trainbearer; Red-billed streamertail; Black-billed streamertail; Amazilia hummingbird; White-throated daggerbill; Geoffroy's daggerbill; Ruby-throated hummingbird; Volcano hummingbird; Glow-throated hummingbird; Turquoise-crowned hummingbird; Violet-crowned hummingbird; Cinnamon-sided hummingbird; Azure-crowned hummingbird; Copper-tailed hummingbird; Saw-billed hermit; Hook-billed hermit; Needle-billed hermit; Straight-billed hermit; Long-billed hermit; Great-billed hermit; Jamaican mango; Puerto Rican mango; Ecuadorian piedtail; Peruvian piedtail; Mountain avocetbill; Black-backed  thornbill; Purple-backed thornbill; Bronze-tailed thornbill; Long-billed starthroat; Garnet-throated hummingbird; Oasis hummingbird; Wine-throated hummingbird; Violet-capped hummingbird; Pirre hummingbird; Snowy-bellied hummingbird; Copper-rumped hummingbird; Cinnamon hummingbird; Buff-tailed sicklebill; Bumblebee hummingbird; Many-spotted hummingbird; White-tipped sicklebill; Mexican hermit; Green-fronted  lancebill; Blue-fronted lancebill; Tooth-billed hummingbird; Green mango; Rufous-capped thornbill; Olivaceous thornbill; Blue-mantled thornbill; Sword-billed hummingbird; Talamanca hummingbird; Black-chinned hummingbird; Blue-headed hummingbird; Xantus's hummingbird; Emerald-chinned hummingbird; Violet-headed hummingbird; Spot-throated hummingbird; Olive-spotted hummingbird; Green-fronted hummingbird; Blue-vented hummingbird; Steely-vented hummingbird; Indigo-capped hummingbird; Chestnut-bellied hummingbird; Green-bellied hummingbird; Buff-bellied hummingbird; Rufous-tailed hummingbird; Mangrove hummingbird; Sapphire-throated hummingbird; Purple-chested hummingbird; Scissor-tailed hummingbird; Sapphire-bellied hummingbird; Costa's hummingbird; Rufous hummingbird; Broad-tailed hummingbird; Tres Marias hummingbird; White-eared hummingbird; Black-bellied hummingbird; Scaly-breasted hummingbird; Blue-chested hummingbird; Violet-chested hummingbird; Rivoli's hummingbird; Bee hummingbird; Anna's hummingbird; Allen's hummingbird; Broad-billed hummingbird; White-tailed hummingbird; Oaxaca hummingbird; Stripe-tailed hummingbird; Swallow-tailed hummingbird; Blue-tailed hummingbird; White-throated hummingbird; White-bellied hummingbird; Green-and-white hummingbird; Violet-bellied hummingbird; Giant hummingbird

Tier 4. A smidge fairy-ish

These are names that have some aspect that reads vaguely fairy-ish to me (whimsical, magical, etc.) but the name as a whole doesn't scream "fairy" to me for one reason or another

Sample names:

Sombre hummingbird <- honestly, I could see “Sombre” being used as a name for a race of particularly gloomy spirits

Rainbow-bearded thornbill <- loses points for the “bill” part since fairies generally don’t have beaks but the rainbow beard part is whimsical enough to save it from the bottom tier

Gilded sapphire <- I keep going back and forth about the gemstone-related names like this. They feel somewhat fairyish to me but they generally could also describe literal gemstones pretty well, which is probably what I'd think of first if I heard them out of context

Tier 4 list: Brazilian ruby; Gilded sapphire; Short-tailed woodstar; Tapajos hermit; Santa Marta woodstar; Golden-tailed sapphire; Chilean woodstar; Planalto hermit; Golden-bellied starfrontlet; Slender-tailed woodstar; Bahama woodstar; Inagua woodstar; Cozumel emerald; Canivet's emerald; Western emerald; Rufous-throated sapphire; Short-tailed emerald; Band-tailed barbthroat; Pale-tailed barbthroat; White-tailed goldenthroat; Green-tailed goldenthroat; Violet-throated starfrontlet; Buff-winged starfrontlet; Perija starfrontlet; Blue-throated starfrontlet; Rufous-shafted woodstar; Cuban emerald; Hispaniolan emerald; Puerto Rican emerald; Narrow-tailed emerald; Green-tailed emerald; Green-crowned plovercrest; Purple-crowned plovercrest; Blue-headed sapphire; Blue-throated sapphire; White-chinned sapphire; Mexican violetear; Bronze-tailed comet; White-sided hillstar; Blue-throated hillstar; Green-headed hillstar; Buff-thighed puffleg; Black-breasted puffleg; Golden-tailed starfrontlet; Green-backed hillstar; White-bellied mountaingem; Blue-throated mountaingem; Green-throated mountaingem; Peruvian sheartail; Brace's emerald; Bronze-tailed plumeleteer; White-vented plumeleteer; Humboldt's sapphire; White-chested emerald; Plain-bellied emerald; Blue-chinned sapphire; White-vented violetear; Stripe-throated hermit; Black-throated hermit; Grey-chinned hermit; Buff-bellied hermit; Tawny-bellied hermit; Red-tailed comet; Black-breasted hillstar; Hoary puffleg; White-tailed starfrontlet; Purple-bibbed whitetip; Rufous-vented whitetip; Plain-capped starthroat; Blue-tufted starthroat; Green-breasted mountaingem; Purple-throated  mountaingem; Slender sheartail; Wedge-tailed sabrewing; Sombre hummingbird; Glittering-throated emerald; Wire-crested thorntail; Wedge-tailed hillstar; Rufous-booted racket-tail; Stripe-breasted starthroat; White-throated mountaingem; Bearded mountaineer; Rufous-breasted hermit; Koepcke's hermit; Green thorntail; Black-bellied thorntail; Letitia's thorntail; Racket-tipped thorntail; Marvelous spatuletail; White-booted racket-tail; Grey-tailed mountaingem; Mexican sheartail; Beautiful sheartail; Charming hummingbird; Fiery-tailed awlbill; Black  jacobin; Broad-tipped hermit; Dusky-throated hermit; Green-breasted mango; Black-throated mango; Scaled metaltail; Streak-throated hermit; Pale-bellied hermit; Green-throated mango; Speckled hummingbird; Vervain hummingbird; White-necked jacobin; Scale-throated hermit; Long-tailed hermit; Rainbow-bearded thornbill; Dusky hummingbird; Calliope hummingbird; Buffy hummingbird; Tumbes hummingbird; White-bellied emerald

Tier 3. A little more fairy-ish

Like Tier 4, but more. Also, a lot of these names would work better for a different kind of magical critter

Sample names:

Velvet-browed brilliant <- the noun part of the species name is so important, and my brain can't fully decide what I expect a "brilliant" to be. A fairy would make sense, though

White-whiskered hermit <- this is a dwarf

Viridian metaltail <- cool name for a dragon

Tier 3 list: Snowcap; Violet-fronted brilliant; Viridian metaltail; Tyrian metaltail; Perija metaltail; Neblina metaltail; Green-crowned brilliant; Honduran emerald; Andean emerald; Versicolored emerald; Fiery-throated metaltail; Coppery metaltail; Tepui goldenthroat; Violet-throated metaltail; Violet-capped woodnymph; Rufous-webbed brilliant; Bronzy inca; Great sapphirewing; White-bearded hermit; White-whiskered hermit; Hooded visorbearer; Horned sungem; Frilled coquette; Buffy helmetcrest; Blue-bearded helmetcrest; Green-bearded helmetcrest; Turquoise-throated puffleg; Golden-breasted puffleg; Colorful puffleg; Brown inca; Black inca; Green inca; Velvet-browed brilliant; Black-throated brilliant; Magenta-throated woodstar; Purple-throated woodstar; Fork-tailed woodnymph; Long-tailed woodnymph; Coppery-headed emerald; Shining-green hummingbird; Sapphire-spangled emerald; Gould's jewelfront; Mountain velvetbreast; Sooty-capped hermit; Green hermit; Little hermit; Short-crested coquette; Rufous-crested coquette; Black-crested coquette; White-crested coquette; White-bearded helmetcrest; Black-thighed puffleg; Coppery-bellied puffleg; Sapphire-vented puffleg; Emerald-bellied puffleg; Collared inca; Gould's inca; Rainbow starfrontlet; Dusky starfrontlet; Pink-throated brilliant; Fawn-breasted brilliant; White-bellied woodstar; Sparkling-tailed woodstar; Scintillant hummingbird; Coppery emerald; Rufous sabrewing; Outcrop sabrewing; White-tailed emerald; Mexican woodnymph; Blue-capped puffleg; Velvet-purple coronet; Blue-tailed emerald; Chiribiquete emerald; Glittering-bellied emerald; Curve-winged sabrewing; Grey-breasted sabrewing; Rufous-breasted sabrewing; Santa Marta sabrewing; Buff-breasted sabrewing; Napo sabrewing; White-browed hermit; Lesser violetear; Greenish puffleg; Buff-tailed coronet; Chestnut-breasted coronet; Amethyst-throated mountaingem; White-tailed sabrewing; Berylline hummingbird; Cinnamon-throated hermit; Andean hillstar; Rufous-gaped hillstar; Reddish hermit; Bronzy hermit; Ecuadorian hillstar; Juan Fernandez firecrown; Long-tailed sylph; Violet-tailed sylph; Venezuelan sylph; Lucifer sheartail; Brown violetear; Black metaltail; Golden-crowned emerald

Tier 2. Fairy names with caveats

These are names that I think could work well for fairies but that have some aspect about them that makes them not 100% obviously fairylike to me

Sample names:

Sparkling violetear <- for some reason, I initially parsed that second word as ''violet-eer" (like, ''one who violets''?) but apparently it's an unhyphenated form of "violet-ear". A bit less whimsical (if inexplicable) that way, but still charming

Gorgeted woodstar <- I didn't know this before making this list, but a “gorget” is a decorative collar or piece of armor that covers the throat, so the term "gorgeted" refers to a crescent-shaped patch of coloring along the throat

Glowing puffleg <- this isn't about the name, but look at the fellow in the pic--he's got fuzzy little pants! delightful

Tier 2 list: Crimson topaz; Fiery topaz; Empress brilliant; Ruby-topaz hummingbird; Flame-throated sunangel; Amethyst woodstar; Sparkling violetear; Peacock coquette; Spangled coquette; Orange-throated sunangel; Purple-throated sunangel; Amethyst-throated sunangel; Longuemare's sunangel; Green-backed firecrown; Purple-backed sunbeam; Black-hooded sunbeam; Little woodstar;  Minute hermit; Sooty barbthroat; Hyacinth visorbearer; White-tufted sunbeam; Purple-collared woodstar; Gorgeted woodstar; Esmeraldas woodstar; Garden emerald; Glowing puffleg; Diamantina sabrewing; Dot-eared coquette; Tufted coquette; Gorgeted puffleg; Lazuline sabrewing; Violet sabrewing

Tier 1. Straight-up fairy names

These are already intended for fairies, and you can’t convince me otherwise

Sample names:

Butterfly coquette <- aka the pokemon Ribombee

Shining sunbeam <- this is the most whimsical name I have ever heard. How is this a real animal

Tolima blossomcrown <- can’t get much more “fairy” than flower crowns

Purple-crowned fairy <- oh, come on

Tier 1 list: Crowned woodnymph; Tolima blossomcrown; Santa Marta blossomcrown; Shining sunbeam; Butterfly coquette; Festive coquette; Royal sunangel; Tourmaline sunangel; Gorgeted sunangel; Merida sunangel; Black-eared fairy; Purple-crowned fairy

[cuteness--overload]

Peruvian racket-tail hummingbird in Ecuador [OC]

Source: https://bit.ly/37QCu34

[rockjumperbirdingtours]

Photo of the Day – The Peruvian Racket-tail (Ocreatus peruanus) is a species of hummingbird found in north-east Peru and eastern Ecuador. Only the male of this species has the elongated racket-shaped outer tail feathers, which are about 7cm long. Both sexes, however, are shining green above with a small white post-ocular spot.

This stunning individual was photographed by Adam Riley in Ecuador

[herpsandbirds]

Peruvian Racket-tail (Ocreatus peruanus), male, family Trochilidae, Peru

photograph by Jeyaramsankar Gurusamy

[herpsandbirds]

I would love to see some cool green birds, if you have the time! 🍀

Why yes, I may have a few green birds for you...

Peruvian Racket-tail (Ocreatus peruanus), male, family Trochilidae, Peru

photograph by Jeyaramsankar Gurusamy

Whitehead’s Broadbill (Calyptomena whiteheadi), family Calyptomenidae, Mount Kinabalu, Borneo, Malaysia

photograph by JJ Harrison 

Glistening-green Tanager (Chlorochrysa phoenicotis), family Thraupidae, found in NW South America

photograph by @robinmettler3

Musk Lorikeet (Glossopsitta concinna), family Psittaculidae, order Psittaciformes, VIC, Australia

photograph by Fir0002

White-throated Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus albivitta), family Ramphastidae, Colombia

This species was once considered to be a subspecies of the Emerald Toucanet, but was split off as a separate species in 2008.

photograph by William Salazar Sanchez

[herpsandbirds]

Peruvian Racket-tail (Ocreatus peruanus), male, family Trochilidae, Ecuador

Some ornithologists consider the Peruvian Racket-tail to be a subspecies of the Booted Racket-tail, O. underoodii.

photograph by Pablo Alberto Páez Dávila