Violet-tailed Sylph vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Aglaiocercus coelestis compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Violet-tailed Sylph | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aglaiocercus coelestis | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 12.4 cm (4.9 in) | — |
| Weight | 5.483333333333334 g (0.19 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore with elongated tail foraging at diverse montane flowers. Catches small arthropods near flowering bromeliads. | Nectarivore of Bolivian and Peruvian cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and bromeliads. Gleans small insects from … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Violet-tailed Sylph
Sharp, emphatic two-note call; first note high and accented, second softer and brief, delivered at measured pace.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Violet-tailed Sylph
Found on the western Andean slope and Pacific foothills of Colombia and Ecuador in humid forest. 300–1,600 m.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Found in cloud forests of northern Bolivia and adjacent Peru and Brazil at 400–1,400 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Violet-tailed Sylph
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
How to Tell Them Apart
Violet-tailed Sylph
Allen's Hummingbird: males with brilliant copper-orange back; glittering red-orange gorget; green crown; females green above with rufous
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Golden-bellied Starfrontlet: tiny; males with brilliant orange-gold belly; violet gorget; females green above; spotted buff below
About These Birds
Violet-tailed Sylph
A spectacular hummingbird (10 cm body + 13 cm tail in males) endemic to the western Andes of Colombia and Ecuador at 1,000-2,500 m. Males have dazzling violet-blue outer tail streamers. Nectarivore of cloud forest and forest edges. Replaced by Long-tailed Sylph east of the Andes.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
A small hummingbird (8-10 cm plus tail rackets) found in Andean cloud forests of southeastern Peru and Bolivia at 1,200-2,200 m. Males have rufous leg puffs instead of white. Recently split from Booted Racket-tail. Nectarivore of montane forest undergrowth.