Rufous-booted Racket-tail vs Red-tailed Comet
Ocreatus addae compared with Sappho sparganurus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-booted Racket-tail | Red-tailed Comet |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ocreatus addae | Sappho sparganurus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Trochilidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | — | 12.6 cm (5.0 in) |
| Weight | 3.0 g (0.11 oz) | 5.4 g (0.19 oz) |
| Diet | Nectarivore of Bolivian and Peruvian cloud forest; visits Ericaceae and bromeliads. Gleans small insects from … | Nectarivore of Andean high-altitude scrub; visits Chuquiraga and Ericaceae flowers. Catches small insects near blooms. |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Deep, resonant hum barely audible; extremely low vibration barely perceptible during hovering near high-altitude flowers.
Red-tailed Comet
Pure, bell-like tones in descending sequence; clear musical notes stepping down smoothly with resonant ringing quality.
Geographic Range & Migration
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Found in cloud forests of northern Bolivia and adjacent Peru and Brazil at 400–1,400 m elevation.
Red-tailed Comet
Found in the Andes and Patagonian scrub of Argentina and Bolivia from 1,000–4,200 m. Partly migratory southward.
Conservation Status
Rufous-booted Racket-tail
Red-tailed Comet
About These Birds
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.
Red-tailed Comet
A stunning hummingbird (15-22 cm including tail) found in dry inter-Andean valleys from Bolivia to northwestern Argentina at 2,000-4,500 m. Males have a deeply forked, iridescent red-orange tail. Nectarivore of arid scrub and cactus flowers. An iconic Andean species.