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Order
Caprimulgiformes
Family
Trochilidae
Genus
Discosura
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Coppery Thorntail Discosura letitiae Scientific name definitions

Thomas Züchner, Peter F. D. Boesman, and Christopher J. Sharpe
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated April 3, 2015

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Introduction

Incredibly little information is known about this hummingbird of the Bolivian lowlands. It is only known from two or three questionable specimens from the 19th century and could now be extinct. Males are bronzy green above with a straight bill and narrow white rump band.

Field Identification

c. 9 cm. Male has short, straight black bill, crown iridescent emerald-green, rest of upperparts bronzy-green with white band across rump; gorget iridescent emerald-green, belly dusky washed with green, flanks bronzy-green; tail long, forked, outer rectrices narrow, purplish black, shafts of all rectrices whitish. Female unknown.

Systematics History

Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Presumably lowlands of NE Bolivia (known only from two old specimens labelled "Bolivia").

Habitat

Probably rainforest along rivers.

Movement

No information available.

Diet and Foraging

No information available; most likely feeds on nectar of same flowers as congeners.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Unknown.

Breeding

No information available.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife DD Data Deficient

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Data Deficient. CITES II. Restricted-range species: distribution uncertain due to doubts over provenance of specimens (1). Unknown in life: described from two 19th century specimens collected prior to 1852. Possibly the least known of all hummingbird species. Urgent action required to verify distributional range and gather information on its life history.

Distribution of the Coppery Thorntail - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Coppery Thorntail

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Züchner, T., P. F. D. Boesman, and C. J. Sharpe (2020). Coppery Thorntail (Discosura letitiae), 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.coptho2.01
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American Ornithological Society Audubon Panamá A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute Armonia Bolivia Aves Argentinas Avibase Aves Uruguay Birds Caribbean Bird Count India IUCN SSC Heron Specialist Group Conservación de Islas Corbidi Fundación Ñankulafkén Instituto Humboldt Lynx Malaysian Bird Report Oikonos Oriental Bird Club Ornithological Society Of The Middle East The Caucasus And Central Asia RED DE OBSERVADORES DE AVES Y VIDA SILVESTRE DE CHILE Roberts Birds Save Brasil Sociedad Ornitològica de Córdoba Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute Union Venezolana De Ornitologos