Black-breasted Puffleg vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Eriocnemis nigrivestis compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-breasted Puffleg | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eriocnemis nigrivestis | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Endangered | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 11.4 cm (4.5 in) | — |
| Weight | 4.449999999999999 g (0.16 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Andean montane Ericaceae and epiphyte flowers; fluffy leg puffs visible during hover. Gleans … | Nectarivore of Bolivian and Peruvian cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and bromeliads. Gleans small insects from … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Black-breasted Puffleg only
Rufous-booted Racket-tail only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Black-breasted Puffleg
Soft, sustained hum barely audible; extremely faint low-frequency sound audible only at very close range.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black-breasted Puffleg
Endemic to the western Andes of Ecuador, primarily the Pichincha and Imbabura regions. 2,800–3,600 m. Critically endangered.
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-breasted Puffleg
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-breasted Puffleg
Violet-fronted Brilliant: males with glittering violet forehead; metallic green above; white belly; 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
Black-breasted Puffleg
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to the northwestern Andes of Ecuador at 2,500-3,200 m. Males have a black breast and white leg puffs. Nectarivore of cloud forest and forest edges. Critically Endangered with fewer than 250 individuals estimated remaining.
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.