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Bronze-tailed comet
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Clade:	Strisores
Order:	Apodiformes
Family:	Trochilidae
Tribe:	Lesbiini
Genus:	Polyonymus Heine, 1863
Species:	P. caroli
Binomial name
Polyonymus caroli (Bourcier, 1847)

The bronze-tailed comet (Polyonymus caroli) is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is endemic to Peru.

Taxonomy and systematics

The bronze-tailed comet is the only member of its genus and has no subspecies. However, at one time the grey-bellied comet (Taphrolesbia griseiventris) was also placed in Polyonymus.

Description

The bronze-tailed comet is 11 to 13 cm (4.3 to 5.1 in) long and weighs about 4.8 g (0.17 oz). Adult males have dark bronzy green upperparts. Their tail is somewhat long and deeply forked and its central feathers are bronzy green. The upper surface of the other tail feathers are steel blue or purplish becoming bronze at the ends; their undersides are entirely steel blue. They have a white spot behind the eye. The gorget is large and rosy violet to rosy purple, and the rest of the underparts are bronze green. Adult females are similar to the males but duller. Their gorget is smaller and more orange and the tail shorter and less deeply forked. The belly is grayish with green speckles.

Distribution and habitat

The bronze-tailed comet is found on the Pacific slope and dry valleys of the Peruvian Andes from the Department of Cajamarca south into the Department of Arequipa. It inhabits arid to semi-arid montane scrublands and small montane woods. In elevation it ranges from 2,100 to 3,400 m (6,900 to 11,000 ft).

Behavior

Movement

The bronze-tailed comet is sedentary.

Feeding

The bronze-tailed comet's diet is not known in detail, though it is known to be mostly insectivorous and also eats small arthropods. It forages at all heights but mostly near the ground.

Breeding

The bronze-tailed comet's breeding season appears to include at least November and December but little else is known about the species' breeding phenology. Its nest has not been described.

Vocalization

The bronze-tailed comet's apparent song is "a short trill that rises in pitch and then descends". While foraging it makes ""a dry, rapid chatter: tcht or tchtcht.

Status

The IUCN has assessed the bronze-tailed comet as being of Least Concern. Though its population size is not known it is believed to be stable. It is uncommon, but "occupies areas in the Andes that have been settled by humans for thousands of years, and at least in the short term seems to be little affected by human activities."

References

1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Bronze-tailed Comet Polyonymus caroli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22687980A93178060. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22687980A93178060.en. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
3. ^ Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (January 2022). "Hummingbirds". IOC World Bird List. v 12.1. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
4. HBW and BirdLife International (2020) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world Version 5. Available at: http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v5_Dec20.zip retrieved May 27, 2021
5. Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 31 January 2022. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved February 1, 2022
6. ^ Schulenberg, T. S. and C. W. Sedgwick (2020). Bronze-tailed Comet (Polyonymus caroli), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.brtcom1.01 retrieved February 19, 2022
7. ^ Schulenberg, Thomas S.; Stotz, Douglas F.; Lane, Daniel F.; O'Neill, John P.; Parker III, Theodore A. (2007). Birds of Peru. Princeton, NJ, USA: Princeton University Press. p. 242. ISBN 978-0-691-13023-1.

External links

• Image of bronze-tailed comet - Polyonymus caroli

v t e Genera of nightjars, hummingbirds, swifts and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Clade: Passerea Clade: Strisores
Strisores †Archaeotrogonidae Archaeodromus Archaeotrogon Hassiavis Caprimulgiformes †"Wyomingcypselus" Caprimulgidae †Ventivorus Caprimulginae Antrostomus Caprimulgus Eleothreptus Gactornis Hydropsalis Macropsalis Nyctidromus Nyctiphrynus Nyctipolus Phalaenoptilus Setopagis Siphonorhis Systellura Uropsalis Veles Chordeilinae Chordeiles Lurocalis Nyctiprogne Eurostopodinae Eurostopodus Lyncornis Vanescaves Sedentaves Steatornithiformes †Euronyctibius †Prefica †Protocypselomorphus †Fluvioviridavidae Fluvioviridavis Steatornithidae Steatornis Nyctibiiformes Nyctibiidae †Parapreficinae Paraprefica Nyctibiinae Nyctibius Phyllaemulor Letornithes Podargiformes Podargiformes †Masillapodargus †Quercypodargus Podargidae Batrachostomus Podargus Rigidipenna Apodimorphae See below ↓
Apodimorphae †Eocypselidae Eocypselus Daedalornithes incertae sedis †Palescyvus Aegotheliformes †Quipollornis Aegothelidae Aegotheles Apodiformes †Cypseloramphus? †Aegialornithidae Aegialornis Primapus Procuculus? †Cypselavidae Argornis Cypselavus Parargornis †Jungornithidae Jungornis Trochiloidea See below ↓ Apodidae See below ↓
Trochiloidea incertae sedis †Eurotrochilus Trochilidae Florisuginae Florisuga Topaza Phaethornithinae Anopetia Eutoxeres Glaucis Phaethornis Ramphodon Threnetes Polytminae Androdon Anthracothorax Augastes Avocettula Chrysolampis Colibri Doryfera Eulampis Heliactin Heliothryx Polytmus Schistes Polytminae Heliantheini Aglaeactis Boissonneaua Coeligena Eriocnemis Ensifera Haplophaedia Heliodoxa Lafresnaya Loddigesia Ocreatus Pterophanes Urochroa Urosticte Lesbiini Adelomyia Aglaiocercus Chalcostigma Discosura Heliangelus Lesbia Lophornis Metallura Opisthoprora Oreonympha Oreotrochilus Oxypogon Phlogophilus Polyonymus Ramphomicron Sappho Sephanoides Taphrolesbia Patagoninae Patagona Trochilinae Trochilini Abeillia Amazilia Amazilis Anthocephala Basilinna Campylopterus Chalybura Chionomesa Chlorestes Chlorostilbon Chrysuronia Cynanthus Elliotomyia Eupetomena Eupherusa Goldmania Hylocharis Klais Leucippus Leucochloris Microchera Orthorhyncus Pampa Phaeochroa Phaeoptila Polyerata Ramosomyia Riccordia Saucerottia Stephanoxis Talaphorus Taphrospilus Thalurania Thaumasius Trochilus Uranomitra Lampornithini Eugenes Heliomaster Hylonympha Lampornis Lamprolaima Panterpe Sternoclyta Mellisugini Archilochus Calliphlox Calothorax Calypte Chaetocercus Doricha Eulidia Mellisuga Microstilbon Myrmia Myrtis Nesophlox Philodice Rhodopis Selasphorus Thaumastura Tilmatura
Apodi incertae sedis †Laputavis †Procypseloides †Scaniacypselus Hemiprocnidae Hemiprocne Apodidae Apodinae Apodini Aeronautes Apus Cypsiurus Panyptila Tachornis Tachymarptis Chaeturini Chaetura Hirundapus Mearnsia Neafrapus Rhaphidura Telacanthura Zoonavena Collocaliini Aerodramus Collocalia Hydrochous Schoutedenapus Cypseloidinae Cypseloides Streptoprocne

• IUCN Red List least concern species
• Hummingbirds
• Birds of the Peruvian Andes
• Endemic birds of Peru
• Birds described in 1847