Blue-tailed Emerald vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Chlorostilbon mellisugus compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Blue-tailed Emerald | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chlorostilbon mellisugus | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 9.0 cm (3.5 in) | — |
| Weight | 2.6466666666666665 g (0.09 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore visiting diverse flowering plants; supplements the high-sugar nectar diet with small insects and spiders … | 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
Blue-tailed Emerald
Pure, flute-like descending scale; smooth melodic phrase moving cleanly through several notes, warm in timbre.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Blue-tailed Emerald
Widely distributed from Colombia and Venezuela through the Guianas to Trinidad and Tobago. Resident in varied lowland habitats.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Found in cloud forests of northern Bolivia and adjacent Peru and Brazil at 400–1,400 m elevation.
Conservation Status
Blue-tailed Emerald
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
How to Tell Them Apart
Blue-tailed Emerald
White-throated Hummingbird: males with brilliant green gorget; metallic green above; white throat; females green above; spotted below
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
Blue-tailed Emerald
A small hummingbird (7-8 cm) widely distributed from Colombia and Venezuela through the Guianas to Trinidad and Tobago. Bright green plumage with a blue tail. Nectarivore of forest edges, gardens, and open habitats. One of the most common emeralds in northern South America.
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.