Black-eared Fairy vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Heliothryx auritus compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-eared Fairy | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heliothryx auritus | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 13.0 cm (5.1 in) | — |
| Weight | 5.15 g (0.18 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore robbing nectar from large flowers in forest canopy. Gleans small spiders and soft-bodied insects … | 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-eared Fairy
Soft, liquid notes in gentle cascade; flowing sequence of mellow tones with subtle tremolo in misty montane forest.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black-eared Fairy
Widespread in Amazonian lowlands from the Guianas south through Brazil and west to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. 0–700 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-eared Fairy
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-eared Fairy
Blue-chinned Sapphire: males with shining blue chin; metallic green above; white pectoral tufts; females green above with blue-spotted throat
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-eared Fairy
A slender, elegant hummingbird (11-12 cm) with a long, forked tail, glittering green plumage, and bold black ear patches. Found in humid lowland forests from eastern Colombia and Venezuela through Amazonia to Bolivia and Brazil. Nectarivore of forest canopy. Named for its graceful flight.
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.