Short-tailed Woodstar vs Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Myrmia micrura compared with Ocreatus addae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Short-tailed Woodstar | Rufous-booted Racket-tail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Myrmia micrura | Ocreatus addae |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 6.8 cm (2.7 in) | — |
| Weight | 2.1999999999999997 g (0.08 oz) | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Peruvian coastal scrub and lomas vegetation; visits small flowers. Catches tiny 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
Song & Call Comparison
Short-tailed Woodstar
Rapid, light chips in cheerful animated sequence; bright staccato notes with buoyant quality near flowers.
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Geographic Range & Migration
Short-tailed Woodstar
Found in arid scrub and coastal desert of Peru and far northern Chile. Sea level to 2,000 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
Short-tailed Woodstar
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
How to Tell Them Apart
Short-tailed Woodstar
Santa Marta Sabrewing: males with glittering ruby-red gorget; metallic green above; white postocular stripe; females green; 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
Short-tailed Woodstar
A tiny hummingbird (6-7 cm), one of the smallest birds in the world. Found in arid coastal Peru and Ecuador. Short tail, short bill, and tiny body. Nectarivore of desert scrub and dry woodland flowers. Weighs only 2-3 grams.
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.