The Grey-bellied Comet is a species of 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...

 in the Trochilidae family.
It is found only in 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 subtropical or tropical high-altitude 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.

Habitat

The Grey-bellied Comet lives within a very small habitat, which contributes to its currently being endangered. The bird has been found living in five separate, but close sites in north central Peru in the Andes mountains. The Grey-bellied Comet inhabits areas of steep, rocky, and dry slopes with some vegetation. The bird lives at mainly altitudes of 2,750 to 3,170 metres above sea level.

Ecological Role

The Grey-bellied Comet plays a similar role as the hummingbird in pollinating woody shrubs and trees.

Population and conservation status

Current population estimates for the Grey-bellied Comet are around 413 to 826 individual birds. Habitat modification, and loss are the largest contributing factor to the species declining population. Human modification to the habitat with agriculture is fragmenting and decreasing the already small portion of land the bird inhabits.

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet.