Discosura
Encyclopedia
Discosura is a genus of hummingbird
in the Trochilidae family. The thorntails are sometimes placed in the genus Popelairia (Reichenbach
, 1854), leaving Discosura for the Racket-tailed Coquette. On the contrary, some have argued for merging this genus into Lophornis
, which they overall resemble, except for the highly modified tail-feathers of the males.
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. The thorntails are sometimes placed in the genus Popelairia (Reichenbach
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach was an ornithologist, botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century...
, 1854), leaving Discosura for the Racket-tailed Coquette. On the contrary, some have argued for merging this genus into Lophornis
Lophornis
Lophornis is a genus of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. These are all tiny birds, ranking among the smallest hummingbirds. No species exceeds and most are under in total length...
, which they overall resemble, except for the highly modified tail-feathers of the males.
Species
- Wire-crested ThorntailWire-crested ThorntailThe Wire-crested Thorntail is a hummingbird which occurs in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.The male of the eastern slopes of the northern Andes, has elongated tail feathers that curve outward and taper from a broad base to a slender tip. The outermost is longest and each successive feather toward the...
(Discosura popelairii) - Black-bellied ThorntailBlack-bellied ThorntailThe Black-bellied Thorntail is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela....
(Discosura langsdorffi) - Letitia's Thorntail (Discosura letitiae)
- Green ThorntailGreen ThorntailThe Green Thorntail is a small hummingbird that is a resident breeder from Costa Rica to western Ecuador. It occurs at middle elevations from 700-1400 m but may descend lower early in the wet season. In Costa Rica and Panama it is confined to the Caribbean slopes.This is a forest canopy species...
(Discosura conversii) - Racket-tailed CoquetteRacket-tailed CoquetteThe Racket-tailed Coquette is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela....
(Discosura longicaudus)