There are very few people who have had the opportunity to see this rare and beautiful hummingbird. Find out where it lives and what makes it so unique.
Scientific name: Loddigesia mirabilis
Family: Trochilidae
Order: Apodiformes
Other common names: Admirable hummingbird, marvelous hummingbird
How to identify this bird
This medium-sized hummingbird stands out for its spectacular and colorful tail. The feathers in the outer part of the tail form a semicircle and are in a criss-cross formation. This hummingbird’s crown and crest are of a brilliant purple. Its throat feathers are of a lustrous blue tone with iridescent greens. The plumage on its back is tan green, while its breast and belly, whitish. It measures between twelve and thirteen centimeters in length.
Natural History
Forked tail hummingbirds are considered among the rarest and most beautiful birds in the world. Of solitary habits, they congregate only during the breeding season. Their small nests are constructed from blades of grass, feathers, and even spider’s webs. They like to take good baths in very clean water, which they nest in the waterfalls and streams. Their food is made up of the nectar they take from the flowers and the insects they capture, both inside the flowers or in mid-flight. They make chirps very clearly. audible
A threatened species
Because it is an endemic species with limited habitat, its population is small and threatened because of migratory agriculture and the opening of grazing areas that destroy the forests of the high forest. The fork-tailed hummingbird is categorized as a rare species. However, studies are needed to determine the real situation of their populations in the country.
Distribution and range
It inhabits between 1,700 and 3,700 m.s., but is more abundant between 2,100 and 3,700 m.s. It is distributed along the mountains and forests that cover the eastern slope of the Andes of Peru. This species is most commonly spotted in localities in the area between Chachapoyas and Bongara, on the left bank of the Uctabamba river (a tributary of the right bank of the Maranon river), in the department of Amazonas.
Source: The Identification Guide for Species of Peru, by Walter H. Wust
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