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Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) - HBW 5, p. 595

French: Ariane à ventre gris German: Braunschwanzamazilie Spanish: Amazilia Tzacatl
Other common names: Rieffer’s Hummingbird; Escudo Hummingbird (handleyi)

Taxonomy: Trochilus Tzacatl De la Llave, 1833, Mexico.
Forms a superspecies with A. castaneiventris, but not, as sometimes suggested, with A. rutila and A. yucatanensis, given considerable distributional overlap with former in Central America. Race handleyi has been treated as a distinct species, due mainly to its much larger size, but this is untenable due to zone of morphometric intergradation with nominate in Bocas del Toro Archipelago. Validity of race fuscicaudata has been questioned, but supported by morphometric characters. “A. bangsi” is a hybrid of present species and A. rutila. Four s.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Trochilus Tzacatl De la Llave, 1833, Mexico.
Forms a superspecies with A. castaneiventris, but not, as sometimes suggested, with A. rutila and A. yucatanensis, given considerable distributional overlap with former in Central America. Race handleyi has been treated as a distinct species, due mainly to its much larger size, but this is untenable due to zone of morphometric intergradation with nominate in Bocas del Toro Archipelago. Validity of race fuscicaudata has been questioned, but supported by morphometric characters. “A. bangsi” is a hybrid of present species and A. rutila. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • tzacatl (De la Llave, 1833) - CE (possibly NE) Mexico to C Panama.
  • handleyi Wetmore, 1963 - I Escudo de Veraguas (off NW Panama).
  • fuscicaudata (Fraser, 1840) - N & W Colombia and W Venezuela.
  • jucunda (Heine, 1863) - SW Colombia and W Ecuador.

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