#red-tailed comet

[snailkites]

Red-tailed Comet (Sappho sparganurus)

A brilliant hummingbird belonging to tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae, the "coquette" hummingbirds. Primarily resident in the Andes from central Bolivia south into northern Argentina, as well as on isolated mountains of Córdoba.

Photo: Evelyn Henriquez ML503935561

[birdstudies]

November 27, 2017 - Red-tailed Comet (Sappho sparganurus)

These hummingbirds are found in the Andes mountains from central Bolivia south to Argentina. Like all hummingbirds, they feed mostly on nectar, favoring flowers with high sugar content and sometimes feeding on small insects and spiders. They are solitary and fiercely defend their feeding ranges. Males display by flying in U-shaped patterns. Females build small nests from plant fibers, down, and spiderwebs and incubate the eggs and care for the chicks alone.

[chirobe]

Red-tailed Comet.

[libutron]

Red-tailed Comet - Sappho sparganura | ©Glenn Bartley    (Bolivia, South America)

Known in Spanish as Picaflor o Colibrí cometa, the Red-tailed Comet, Sappho sparganura (Trochiliformes - Trochilidae) is one of the most impressive hummingbirds you can find in Bolivia and Argentina.

The male has a spectacular, long, iridescent, golden-reddish tail up to 22 cm in length. The female has a shorter reddish-bronze tail and reaches 15 cm in length. 

[bird-a-day]

Red-tailed Comet

This bird is a tropical hummingbird found in central South America. It is considered a medium sized hummingbird, with males measuring around 22 centimeters (including their tails), and females around 15 cm.

Happy Birthday, mom!