Chilean Woodstar
Encyclopedia
The Chilean Woodstar is a small bird
in the hummingbird
family, Trochilidae. It is restricted to northernmost Chile
with reports from southern Peru
. Its natural habitat
s are dry shrubland
and rural gardens. It is threatened by habitat loss and is classed as an endangered species
. It is usually classified in its own genus
Eulidia but is sometimes placed with the Purple-collared Woodstar
in the genus Myrtis.
accounting for 1.5 centimetres of this. The bill is black, straight, slender and fairly short, about the same length as the head. The tail is often held in a cocked position.
The adult male is iridescent
green above and whitish below with green sides. The throat is reddish-purple and blue but often appears blackish. The tail is long, black and forked with long, pointed outer-feathers that curve inwards. Females are green above and have a white throat while the rest of the underparts are mostly very pale buff, darkest on the belly and thighs. The tail is short and slightly graduated with green inner feathers. The outer feathers are black with a rufous base and white tip. Immature males are similar to the female but have a mottled throat and may have elongated outer tail-feathers.
The Peruvian Sheartail
is similar but the male has two elongated white feathers in its tail while the female tends to have a whiter belly and more buff throat than the woodstar. The tail is rarely cocked but is frequently pumped vigorously up and down unlike the woodstar.
The call is a series of rasping notes, quieter and less musical than the call of the Peruvian Sheartail. The male has a high-pitched, buzzing display call.
and Vitor valleys in Arica and Parinacota Region in far northern Chile. It formerly occurred in the Lluta
valley but has not been found there during recent surveys. There is also an old record from Antofagasta Province
. In Peru, there are a number of sight records from Tacna Region
and possibly Moquegua Region
but the species has not been recorded recently.
It inhabits scrub and thickets along river valleys within desert regions. It is mainly found lower than 750 metres above sea level but occasionally occurs above 2000 metres. It prefers natural vegetation, feeding on native shrubs such as Geoffroea decorticans
. It also occurs in gardens and fruit groves, feeding on the flowers of Lantana
, Hibiscus
and Citrus
. It is a solitary feeder whose diet mainly consists of nectar.
. The population was estimated at 1,200 individuals in 2007 with 55% in the Azapa valley and 45% in the Vitor valley.
Habitat loss is the main threat to the species with only small patches of suitable native vegetation remaining. The effect of pesticide
s and competition with the Peruvian Sheartail are possible threats but this has not yet been proven. A species recovery plan was approved in 2004 which included plans for monitoring the population, restoring natural vegetation and studying competition with the Peruvian Sheartail and the possibility of reintroducing the birds in areas of their former range.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
family, Trochilidae. It is restricted to northernmost Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
with reports from southern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are dry shrubland
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
and rural gardens. It is threatened by habitat loss and is classed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
. It is usually classified in its own genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Eulidia but is sometimes placed with the Purple-collared Woodstar
Purple-collared Woodstar
The Purple-collared Woodstar is a species of bird in the hummingbird family, Trochilidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife...
in the genus Myrtis.
Description
It is the smallest bird in Chile, 7.2 to 7.5 centimetres long with the billBeak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
accounting for 1.5 centimetres of this. The bill is black, straight, slender and fairly short, about the same length as the head. The tail is often held in a cocked position.
The adult male is iridescent
Iridescence
Iridescence is generally known as the property of certain surfaces which appear to change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes...
green above and whitish below with green sides. The throat is reddish-purple and blue but often appears blackish. The tail is long, black and forked with long, pointed outer-feathers that curve inwards. Females are green above and have a white throat while the rest of the underparts are mostly very pale buff, darkest on the belly and thighs. The tail is short and slightly graduated with green inner feathers. The outer feathers are black with a rufous base and white tip. Immature males are similar to the female but have a mottled throat and may have elongated outer tail-feathers.
The Peruvian Sheartail
Peruvian Sheartail
The Peruvian Sheartail is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Peru west of the Andes and has been recorded in Ecuador...
is similar but the male has two elongated white feathers in its tail while the female tends to have a whiter belly and more buff throat than the woodstar. The tail is rarely cocked but is frequently pumped vigorously up and down unlike the woodstar.
The call is a series of rasping notes, quieter and less musical than the call of the Peruvian Sheartail. The male has a high-pitched, buzzing display call.
Distribution and habitat
It is currently known to breed only in the AzapaAzapa Valley
Azapa Valley in Chile is a fertile and narrow oasis, framed between two sere hills and divided by the summer season-running "San Jose" river . It is located three kilometers from Arica...
and Vitor valleys in Arica and Parinacota Region in far northern Chile. It formerly occurred in the Lluta
Lluta River
The Lluta River is a river located in the northern part of the Arica and Parinacota Region of Chile. Its headwaters are on the western flanks of the Andes of the Parinacota Province, just a few kilometers south of the border with Peru, and empties into Pacific Ocean about 4 km north of the city of...
valley but has not been found there during recent surveys. There is also an old record from Antofagasta Province
Antofagasta Province
Antofagasta Province is one of three provinces in the northern Chilean region of Antofagasta . The capital is the port city of Antofagasta. Located within the Atacama Desert, it borders the El Loa and Tocopilla provinces to the north, Bolivia to the west and the Atacama Region to the...
. In Peru, there are a number of sight records from Tacna Region
Tacna Region
Tacna is the southernmost region in Peru. Its name originates from the Quechua words taka and na , which would mean "a place to hit". This expression is thought to be related to the Quechua conquest of the Aymara people...
and possibly Moquegua Region
Moquegua Region
Moquegua is a small department in southern Peru that extends from the coast to the highlands. The region's name is of Quechua origin and means "quiet place". The regional capital is the city of Moquegua, but the port city of Ilo is more commercially active....
but the species has not been recorded recently.
It inhabits scrub and thickets along river valleys within desert regions. It is mainly found lower than 750 metres above sea level but occasionally occurs above 2000 metres. It prefers natural vegetation, feeding on native shrubs such as Geoffroea decorticans
Geoffroea decorticans
Geoffroea decorticans, the chañar, kumbaru, or Chilean palo verde , is a small deciduous tree, up to tall that inhabits most arid forests of southern South America. The chañar is cold and drought deciduous; it loses its leaves in winter, and possibly in summer if conditions get too dry...
. It also occurs in gardens and fruit groves, feeding on the flowers of Lantana
Lantana
Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region. The genus includes both...
, Hibiscus
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world...
and Citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
. It is a solitary feeder whose diet mainly consists of nectar.
Status and conservation
The species has a small and declining population and a world range estimated at just 2,200 km2. Because of this it is classed as Endangered by Birdlife InternationalBirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
. The population was estimated at 1,200 individuals in 2007 with 55% in the Azapa valley and 45% in the Vitor valley.
Habitat loss is the main threat to the species with only small patches of suitable native vegetation remaining. The effect of pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s and competition with the Peruvian Sheartail are possible threats but this has not yet been proven. A species recovery plan was approved in 2004 which included plans for monitoring the population, restoring natural vegetation and studying competition with the Peruvian Sheartail and the possibility of reintroducing the birds in areas of their former range.
External links
- ARKive: Chilean woodstar (Eulidia yarrellii), images and videos.