White-booted racket-tail


The white-booted racket-tail is a species of hummingbird. It is found in the Andean cordillera of northern Venezuela, western Colombia, and on the eastern slope of the Andes in Ecuador. Long considered the only species in the monotypic genus Ocreatus, the bird is now sometimes split into three species, the white-booted racket-tail, the Peruvian racket-tail, and the rufous-booted racket-tail. Some taxonomists, such as the American Ornithological Society, continue to lump all the species together, calling it the booted racket-tail.

Description

Racket-tails have pronounced sexual dimorphism. Only the male has elongated outer rectrices that are about 7.5 to 9 cm long. These tail feathers have bare shafts with long terminal oval shaped flags that have pointed ends. In perching birds, the rackets are held parallel with a slight overlap of the flags. Both sexes are shining green above with a small white postocular spot. The underparts of the male are also shining green with an iridescent green throat patch that can be seen in good light. The female has white underparts with many large dark green spots and its black tail has white tips. Both sexes have white colored leg puffs, although the male's are longer and fluffier.