Fiery-tailed awlbill

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Fiery-tailed awlbill
MonographTrochi3Goul 0348.jpg

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Subfamily: Polytminae
Genus: Avocettula
Reichenbach, 1849
Species:
A. recurvirostris
Binomial name
Avocettula recurvirostris
(Swainson, 1822)
Avocettula recurvirostris map.svg

The fiery-tailed awlbill (Avocettula recurvirostris) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Avocettula.[2]

Description[]

The fiery-tailed awlbill is an uncommon bird native to Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela and can be found in drier habitats such as savannas, forest edges, and dry zones on large granite outcrops.[3] The main distinction between this bird and other hummingbirds is its bill that is slightly curved upwards at the tip.[3] This species displays sexual dimorphism in color, with males being fully dark green with a black streak near their abdomen while females have a white underbelly that is marked with black line down the middle.[3][4] They typically measure 3.1-4 inches (8-10cm) and are often confused with black-throated mango hummingbirds (Anthracothorax nigricollis).[4] However, they can be differentiated by looking for a curve in the beak . Other names for the fiery-tailed waybill around the world include mango picolezna, colibri avocette, and schwarzbauch-avosettkolibri. [4]

Diet[]

Fiery-tailed awlbills mainly feed on nectar from flowers and prey on small insects. They also have a high metabolism and therefore have to eat a lot in order to survive; they accomplish this by visiting over 1000 flowers everyday.[5][6] They prefer red tubular flowers as they produce nectar that is higher in sugar content and they will aggressively protect areas that contain their favorite flowers.[4][7] While some hummingbirds offer pollination to flowers, others, like the fiery-tailed awlbill, use their short, sharp beaks to pierce the flowers and drink the nectar without actually pollinating them.[8][9]

Mating[]

Like other hummingbirds, fiery-tailed awlbills are completely independent, except for mating. They do not form flocks or have mates for life. The male will attempt to court a female by flying in a U-shaped pattern in front of her.[4] Males will mate with several females (and vice versa), but will separate after copulation. The males do not participate in post-mating responsibilities.[10]

Nesting[]

The female is responsible for building the nest and raising the chicks. They usually lay 2 eggs per clutch but it can range from 1-3.[7][10] The female utilizes spiderwebs, lichens, grass, feathers, moss, and other plant fibers to build its nest and makes over 150 trips per day to gather materials. [10] The nests are usually found on branches that are 16.5-40 feet (5-12 meters) above the ground. Mothers feed their young with mostly regurgitated insects, mainly because the protein content of nectar is not high enough to sustain the growing chicks. They utilize their long bills to push the food directly into their chicks’ bellies.[7] Similarly to other hummingbird species, the chicks are looked after for about one to two weeks and left alone after that. The birds then leave their nest after about 20 days old. [4][7]

References[]

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2018). "Avocettula recurvirostris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22687146A130118659. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22687146A130118659.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2020). "Hummingbirds". IOC World Bird List Version 10.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Fiery-tailed Awlbill - eBird". ebird.org. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Schuchmann, Karl-Ludwig; Kirwan, Guy M.; Boesman, Peter F. D. (2020-03-04). "Fiery-tailed Awlbill (Avocettula recurvirostris)". Birds of the World.
  5. ^ Doyle, Brian (2020). "Joyas Voladoras". The American Scholar.
  6. ^ Genier, Lisa M. (2018). "10 Facts About Hummingbirds – And other interesting tidbits". www.adirondackcouncil.org. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d Johnson, Sibylle. "Fiery-tailed Awlbills | Beauty of Birds". www.beautyofbirds.com. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  8. ^ Robinson, Scott K; Barlow, Jos; Şekercioğlu, Çağan H; Sodhi, Navjot S (2011-03-23), "Ecological Functions of Birds in the Tropics", Conservation of Tropical Birds, Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 68–108, doi:10.1002/9781444342611.ch4, ISBN 978-1-4443-4261-1, retrieved 5 March 2021
  9. ^ Whelan, Christopher J.; Şekercioğlu, Çağan H.; Wenny, Daniel G. (2015). "Why birds matter: from economic ornithology to ecosystem services". Journal of Ornithology. 156 (S1): 227–238. doi:10.1007/s10336-015-1229-y. ISSN 2193-7192. S2CID 17567370.
  10. ^ a b c "Watch mating display of Anna's hummingbird and how hens use food to coax fledglings to fly". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
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