Black-bellied Thorntail vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Discosura langsdorffi compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-bellied Thorntail | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Discosura langsdorffi | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 7.0 cm (2.8 in) | — |
| Weight | 3.2 g (0.11 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore visiting diverse canopy flowers in humid Amazonian forest. Takes small arthropods in aerial hover-gleaning. | 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
Black-bellied Thorntail
Deep, hollow churring with resonant character; prolonged low buzzing sound vibrating persistently through dense foliage.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black-bellied Thorntail
Found in lowland Amazonian forest from southeastern Colombia south through Ecuador and Peru to Bolivia. 100–600 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
Black-bellied Thorntail
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-bellied Thorntail
Red-tailed Comet: males with glittering green gorget; brilliant coppery-bronze crown; metallic green back; reddish tail; females duller
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
Black-bellied Thorntail
A tiny hummingbird (7-8 cm plus extended tail feathers) found in lowland forests from eastern Colombia through Amazonia to Bolivia and Brazil. Males have dark belly and long, wire-like outer tail feathers with racket tips. Nectarivore of forest canopy and edges.
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.