Blue-tufted Starthroat vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Heliomaster furcifer compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Blue-tufted Starthroat | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliomaster furcifer | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 10.8 cm (4.3 in) | — |
| Weight | 5.7 g (0.20 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of open Argentine and Bolivian habitats; visits diverse shrub flowers. Catches small insects in … | 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
Blue-tufted Starthroat only
Rufous-booted Racket-tail only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Blue-tufted Starthroat
Buzzy, insect-like trill with rapid modulation; high-frequency buzz sustained briefly then repeated after pause.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Blue-tufted Starthroat
Found from Bolivia and Brazil south to Argentina and Uruguay in open woodland and scrub. Sea level to 1,500 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
Blue-tufted Starthroat
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
How to Tell Them Apart
Blue-tufted Starthroat
Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird: males with brilliant violet gorget; metallic bronze-green; sparkling tail; females green above; spotted
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-tufted Starthroat
A medium-sized hummingbird (12-13 cm) found in open habitats from Venezuela and the Guianas through Brazil to Argentina. Green plumage with blue throat tufts (males) and a long, forked tail. Nectarivore of savanna, gardens, and forest edges. Widespread in southern 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.