Rufous-webbed Brilliant
Heliodoxa branickii
Large, green hummingbird of montane forest. Males have a small red throat patch; females are duller green with a white-speckled belly. Both sexes have reddish-brown coloration on the inner webbing of wing feathers, giving the wings a brownish appearance in flight. Locally distributed, and often quite rare; it seems to be most common on some outlying ridges on the eastern side of the Andes.
Identification
The rufous-webbed brilliant is 11 to 11.5 cm (4.3 to 4.5 in) long. Males weigh about 5.8 g (0.20 oz) on average and females 5.4 g (0.19 oz). The species' English name comes from its cinnamon-rufous inner wing feathers; the rest of the wing is dusky. Both sexes have a black bill whose mandible base is paler. Males are mostly shining dark green. Their forehead is brighter glittering green and they have an iridescent rosy gorget. The undertail coverts are bright white. The central pair of tail feathers are green and the rest dark blue. Females also have shining dark green upperparts, flanks, and breast. They have a short white streak from the bill to below the eye. The throat and breast are white, with shining green tips to the feathers, and the belly is white to buffy. A gorget is often lacking, and when present is paler and yellower than the male's. The undertail coverts are bright white like the male's, but the blue outer tail feathers have white tips.
Taxonomy
The rufous-webbed brilliant was at one time treated as the sole member of genus Lampraster, which in the mid 20th century was merged into the present genus Heliodoxa. It is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Heliodoxa branickii
- Authority
- (Taczanowski, 1874)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Heliodoxa
Range and habitat
The rufous-webbed brilliant has been conclusively recorded only on the east slope of the Andes from central to southern Peru. There are also unconfirmed records in Bolivia. It inhabits the interior and edges of humid montane forest at elevations between 650 and 1,700 m (2,100 and 5,600 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The rufous-webbed brilliant's movements, if any, have not been documented.<p>The rufous-webbed brilliant primarily forages for nectar in the forest's understory and its edges, though the species of flowering plants it feeds at are only slightly known. It also eats small insects.<p>The rufous-webbed brilliant's breeding phenology has not been documented.<p>The rufous-webbed brilliant's song is "a series of chew notes interspersed with a short, rapid, descending trill." Its call is "a sweet, descending tew".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Naumann's Thrush
Turdus naumanni
Paler and more orangish than Dusky Thrush. Adult males are the brightest-colored and young females have patchy black on the throat and chest. Note the plain wings without Dusky’s rufous paneling; also note Naumann’s less contrasting head pattern and orange-scaled underparts. Hybrids show a combination of Dusky and Naumann’s features. Naumann’s breeds in taiga and winters in forests and parks; mixes with Dusky on wintering grounds, but less in favor of open habitat. Vocalizations similar to Dusky Thrush.
Buller's Shearwater
Ardenna bulleri
Striking large shearwater with distinctive dark "M" pattern on upperwings. Also note crisp dark cap and clean white underwings and belly. Looks silvery-gray above when fresh, but worn birds can be more brownish. Graceful flight style. Usually easily separated from other shearwaters by wing pattern. Breeds on islands off New Zealand; ranges across the Pacific during nonbreeding season; uncommon off the west coast of the U.S. in fall. Rarely seen from land, prefers to stay offshore. Found singly or in flocks with other shearwaters.
Rufous Treepie
Dendrocitta vagabunda
A long- and stiff-tailed bird with primarily rusty-brown upperparts and dull orangish underparts. The head, mantle, and neck region are a dull, sooty black. The long graduated tail is pale gray with a wide black terminal band. Note the conspicuous silvery-gray, white, and black patterns on the wings. The blackish-gray bill is stout with a hooked tip. Found in a wide range of habitats from woodlands to scrubby patches, singly or in pairs feeding in the treetops. The call is a loud metallic “krowwiiii kroo.”
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