Black Metaltail vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Metallura phoebe compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Metaltail | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Metallura phoebe | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 14.1 cm (5.6 in) | — |
| Weight | 5.7325 g (0.20 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of high Peruvian puna scrub; visits small compact flowers of cushion plants. Gleans tiny … | 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 Metaltail
Harsh, buzzy rattle with percussive onset; abrupt rough trill erupting suddenly then ceasing in sharp silence.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black Metaltail
Found in the high Andes of Peru and Bolivia in puna and upper montane scrub at 3,400–5,000 m elevation.
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 Metaltail
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
About These Birds
Black Metaltail
A small hummingbird (10-11 cm) endemic to the western Andes of Peru at 3,000-4,500 m. Males all black with iridescent purple-blue throat. Nectarivore of puna scrub, Polylepis woodland, and inter-Andean valleys. A Peruvian endemic. Conspicuous at flowering shrubs.
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.