Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

Oasis Hummingbird (Rhodopis vesper) - HBW 5, p. 665

French: Colibri vesper German: Atacamakolibri Spanish: Colibrí del Atacama

Taxonomy: Ornismya vesper Lesson, 1829, probably near Tarapacá, Chile (but possibly western Peru).
Closely related to Heliomaster, and sometimes included within that somewhat varied genus. Infraspecific variation very slight, and in need of revision; proposed race tertia (N Peru) tentatively included in nominate, although morphometrically inseparable from atacamensis; species may be better considered monotypic. Three subspecies tentatively recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • koepckeae Berlioz, 1974 - NW Peru (Cerro Illescas in SW Piura).
  • vesper (Lesson, 1829) - most of Peru and extreme N Chile (Tarapacá).
  • atacamensis (Leybold, 1869) - N Chile (Atacama).

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