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Rufous-booted Racket-tail - BirdForum Opus

Male of subspecies annae
Photo © by Neil
Machu Picchu, Peru, July 2009
Ocreatus addae

Identification

Male

  • Iridescent green above with golden flashes
  • Green underparts in subspecies annae, white with green flecks in subspecies addae
  • White post-ocular spot
  • Long tail streamers ending in blackish-green spoon shaped rackets
    • Tail streamers cross each other near the body
  • Short, straight bill
  • Dark iris
  • Cinnamon puffed up feathers surrounding the legs

Female

  • Similar to male but with
  • White underparts, flecked with green
  • Tail shorter than male, lacks rackets, but deep fork with white tips to outer rectrices
  • White post-ocular spot and a narrow white stripe in the malar region
  • Puffs around legs are smaller and paler than in male
Male of subspecies annae in flight
Photo © by Stanley Jones
Cock of the Rock Lodge, Peru, September 5, 2018

Similar species

Peruvian Racket-tail does not have the tail streamers cross each other.

Distribution

South America: found in Peru and Bolivia.

Taxonomy

One of three species formerly combined as Booted Racket-tail.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized[1].

  • O. u. annae:
  • Andes of central and southern Peru
  • O. u. addae:
  • Yungas of Bolivia (La Paz to Santa Cruz and Chuquisaca)

Habitat

Subtropical to temperate forest, more likely at edges, ravines, roads, etc than at deep forest interior. May use second growth to rainforest, cloud forest, elfin forest, and coffee plantations. Most common between 1000 to 2300 m asl but may be found lower.

Behaviour

Males seems to be territorial, especially contra other males of same species.

Diet

Includes nectar and insects. Most frequently feeding in mid story to canopy, but lower at forest edge and gardens. Readily visits garden feeders.

Vocalisation

Sounds include both calls and mechanical sounds (wing hum).

References

  1. 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/
  2. Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2) DRAFT. Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
  3. Birdforum Member observations
  4. Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156
  5. Erize et al. 2006 Birds of South America, non-passerines. Princeton Illustrated Checklists, Princeton, New Jersey, USA. ISBN 0-691-12688-7
  6. García, N. C., K.L. Schuchmann, and P. F. D. Boesman (2022). Rufous-booted Racket-tail (Ocreatus addae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (B. K. Keeney, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.rubrat1.01

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.

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