- Rhodopis vesper
Identification
Length 12-13.5cm (4¾-5¼ in)
Long, decurved bill.
Male
- Bronze-green above
- Whitish below
- Shiny pinkish-violet throat
- Reddish rump
- Short tail is green in the center with longer, dark brown outer feathers.
Female: Duller overall, and lacks the violet throat of the male; Pale brown underparts, tail is shorter and uniform length, with white underside tips.
Distribution
There are two separate populations of Rhodopis vesper: the first occupies a 100-200km wide strip extending the length of Peru's coastline. The second is in a narrower strip along the dry coastline of Chile where registered almost to Santiago.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Three subspecies are recognized:[1]
- R.v. koepckeae - Northwest Peru
- R.v. vesper (tertia) - Western Peru to extreme northern Chile
- R.v. atacamensis - Northern Chile (Atacama area)
Habitat
This is a bird of extreme dry climates; the coastal areas of Peru and Chile often see no measurable rain for long periods of time. However, the Andes Mountain chain produces streams that cut to the coast, and this bird takes advantage of the vegetation along these oases, foraging in often dense thickets of thorny plants.
Behaviour
Diet
Typical of other hummingbirds, it seeks out nectar from the flowering shrubs, cacti and trees. They also hawk for flying insects.
Breeding
They use branches of fig, lemon and orange trees to suspend their cup-shaped nests.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Oasis Hummingbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Oasis_Hummingbird
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
