Racket-tailed Coquette
A species of Thorntails, Also known as Racquet-tailed Coquette Scientific name : Discosura longicaudus Genus : Thorntails
Racket-tailed Coquette, A species of Thorntails
Also known as:
Racquet-tailed Coquette
Botanical name: Discosura longicaudus
Genus: Thorntails
Content
Description General Info
Description
The species weighs about 3.4 grams (0.12 oz) and is sexually dimorphic. The male is around 10.2 centimetres (4.0 in) long and has a distinctive brilliant green head and throat with a copper-coloured abdomen. The dark purple-brown tail is 5.1 centimetres (2.0 in) long, and forked, with two very long prongs, ending with a pair of round paddle- ("racket") shaped feathers. The female is shorter with a length of 6.9 centimetres (2.7 in). It has duller green upperparts and breast, black throat bordered by white and a white belly. Its tail is grey tipped with white, and lacks "rackets".
Size
10 cm
Feeding Habits
Racket-tailed Coquette subsists primarily on nectar from various families of flowering plants and gleans arthropods from foliage and spider webs, showcasing a diverse diet and specialized feeding behavior.
Habitat
The habitat of racket-tailed Coquette predominantly consists of humid forests, particularly along riverbanks, and extends into scrubby savanna regions. It is adept at foraging mainly in the canopy of these environments, where it takes advantage of the food resources and shelter provided by the dense vegetation.
Dite type
Nectivorous
General Info
Behavior
Racket-tailed coquettes typically gather in the canopy of hapaxanth trees with other hummingbirds and steal other larger hummingbirds' nectar. They are consequently chased by the larger birds. They build their cup-sized nests out of soft plants and down 3–6 metres (9.8–19.7 ft) up a tree. Females usually have a clutch of two eggs, which are incubated for 13–14 days.
Distribution Area
The racket-tailed coquette has a wide distribution range; it is found in northern Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and southern Venezuela. It is also found on the eastern tip of Brazil Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, as well as riparian forests and scrubby savannahs.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Swifts and hummingbirds Family
Hummingbirds Genus
Thorntails Species
Racket-tailed Coquette