Wedge-tailed hillstar

Wedge-tailed hillstar
Male above, female below
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Trochilidae
Genus:	Oreotrochilus
Species:	O. adela
Binomial name
Oreotrochilus adela d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1838
Distribution in South America (green)

The wedge-tailed hillstar (Oreotrochilus adela) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. This sexually dimorphic species is found in scrub and woodland at altitudes of 2,600 to 4,000 metres (8,500 to 13,100 ft) in the Andes of Bolivia and far north-western border region of Argentina. It is threatened by habitat loss. Uniquely among the hillstars, the flanks of the male are deep chestnut, while the underparts of the female are orange-buff. Like other hillstars it shows a range of adaptations to life at high altitudes, including torpor when roosting. This magnificent and distinctive hummingbird is often seen in gullies, desert habitats, Altiplano, and scattered xerophytic cacti and shrubs. It constructs a substantial and well-lined cup nest that is fixed to a vertical rocky surface. It occurs in heavily populated areas where livestock grazing, planting of non-native species, and deliberate burning damage the native vegetation.

References[]

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