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Red-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:	Sappho Reichenbach, 1849
Species:	S. sparganurus
Binomial name
Sappho sparganurus (Shaw, 1812)
Distribution map
Synonyms
Trochilus sparganurus (protonym) Sappho sparganura

The red-tailed comet (Sappho sparganurus) is a medium-sized hummingbird belonging to tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae, the "coquettes". It is found in Argentina and Bolivia and possibly Chile and Peru.

Taxonomy and systematics

The red-tailed comet was formally described in 1812 by the English naturalist George Shaw under the binomial name Trochilus sparganurus. The type locality is Bolivia. Some early twentieth century authors placed it in genus Lesbia. The red-tailed comet is now the only species in genus Sappho that was introduced in 1849 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach. The genus name refers to Sappho, an ancient Greek poet of Lesbos. The specific epithet sparganurus combines the Ancient Greek σπαργανόω/spargaō meaning 'to wrap' and ουρά/oura meaning 'tail'.

The red-tailed comet has two subspecies, the nominate S. s. sparganurus (Shaw, 1812) and S. s. sapho (Lesson, R, 1828). In the early twentieth century at least one author treated the two as individual species.

In at least part of its range it is known in the local Quechua language as Q'ori Kenti (lit. 'golden hummingbird'). It is called the picaflor cometa in Argentina.

Description

Male red-tailed comets are 19 to 20 cm (7.5 to 7.9 in) long including their 7 to 10 cm (2.8 to 3.9 in) tail. Females are 12 to 14 cm (4.7 to 5.5 in) long. The species weighs about 4 to 6.5 g (0.14 to 0.23 oz). Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a shining green head with a golden green or emerald green gorget. Their back and rump are reddish purple and their underparts mostly green with buffy undertail coverts. Their tail is long and deeply forked. Its upper surface looks reddish purple to green depending on the angle of the light striking it. The tail feathers have a wide velvety black to dusky purple tip. Adult females are overall duller than males and have a shorter tail. Their head and back are shining green and their rump reddish purple. Their throat and underparts are pale buff with small green speckles on the throat, breast, and upper belly. Their outer tail feathers have white or buffy white outer webs. Juveniles are similar to adult females but have dull bronzy green upperparts with a slightly coppery rump and more white on their outer tail feathers. Subspecies S. s. sapho is paler than the nominate and is golden orange where the nominate is reddish purple. Both sexes of both subspecies have a reddish brown iris, a black bill, and black legs and feet.

Distribution and habitat

Sources do not agree on the red-tailed comet's range. According to the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society it is found only in Argentina and Brazil. Other taxonomic systems and authors add to its range Chile, possibly Peru but not Chile, both Chile and Peru, or Peru and possibly Chile. The sources also differ in the distributions of the two subspecies. The nominate subspecies is variously placed in northern Bolivia and possibly extreme southern Peru, in northern and central Bolivia, and in northern and central Bolivia and accidentally in southern Peru. Subspecies S. s. sapho is variously placed in central Bolivia and northern and western Argentina, in southern Bolivia, northern and western Argentina, and east-central Chile, and from southern Bolivia to western Argentina and northern Chile.

The red-tailed comet inhabits arid montane scrublands on the eastern slope of the Andes and in valleys within the Andes. The landscape is characterized by scattered trees, a bushy understorey, and dense tangles in ravines. It also occurs in Polylepis woodlands. In elevation it ranges moslty between 1,500 and 4,200 m (4,900 and 13,800 ft) but has been reported as low as 400 m (1,300 ft).

Behavior

Movement

The red-tailed comet is mostly a year-round resident but is known to make elevational movements in Bolivia.

Feeding

The red-tailed comet feeds primarily on nectar and also includes small arthropods in its diet. It collects nectar both while hovering and while perched; it captures arthropods in flight and sometimes by gleaning them from vegetation. Males defend flower patches as feeding territory.

Breeding

The red-tailed comet's breeding season has not been fully defined. It is reported to span October to December in Argentina and seems to include April to June in Bolivia. As is true of all hummingbirds, the female makes the nest, incubates the eggs, and cares for nestlings. The nest is a bulky cup of moss, lichen, and amimal hair. It is usually placed in a niche on a rock wall but sometimes in a tree. The clutch size is two eggs. The incubation period is 19 to 20 days and fledging occurs 31 to 32 days after hatch. One researcher documented a case in which a female began a second brood in a separate nest before its first brood fledged. It successfully raised all four young. The two nests were built near each other under the eave of a house.

Vocalization

What is thought to be the red-tailed comet's song is "a short, rapid, jumbled chatter". It also makes an "unmelodic tjrrrt" and "rather harsh tsha or zack notes, which may be monotonously repeated at more than 1 s intervals".

Status

The IUCN has assessed the red-tailed comet as being of Least Concern. It has a very large range, and though its population size is not known it is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified. It is considered fairly common throughout its main range.

Gallery

• Illustration from Kunstformen der Natur (1904)
• Sappho sparganurus. Museum specimen
• Museum specimen
• Museum specimen
• A male red-tailed comet in Cordoba, Argentina.

References

1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Red-tailed Comet Sappho sparganurus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22687977A93177874. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22687977A93177874.en. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
3. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2024). "Hummingbirds". IOC World Bird List. v 14.1. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
4. Shaw, George (1812). General Zoology, or Systematic Natural History. Vol. 8, Part 1. London: Kearsley et al. p. 291, Plate 39.
5. Peters, James Lee, ed. (1945). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 116.
6. ^ Cory, C.B. 1918. Catalogue of birds of the Americas. Field Museum Nat. History Publ., Zool. Ser., vol. 13, pt. 2, no. 1.
7. Reichenbach, Ludwig (1849). Avium Systema Naturale (in German). Dresden and Leipzig: Friedrich Hofmeister. Plate XL.
8. ^ Schulenberg, T. S. and A. Jaramillo (2020). Red-tailed Comet (Sappho sparganurus), 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.retcom1.01 retrieved April 9, 2024
9. ^ Fogden, Michael; Taylor, Marianne; Williamson, Sheri L. (2014). Hummingbirds: A Life-size Guide to Every Species. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 112–113. ISBN 978-0-06-228064-0.
10. Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 4 March 2024. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved March 5, 2024
11. ^ Clements, J. F., P.C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved October 28, 2023
12. BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Sappho sparganurus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/red-tailed-comet-sappho-sparganurus on 09/04/2024.
13. Sferco, Guillermo (2018). "Alternate care of two nests by a Red-tailed Comet (Sappho sparganurus)". The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 130 (1): 335–336. doi:10.1676/16-137.1.

Further reading

• del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International.
• Javier González Zapata: Sobre la presencia en Chile de Sappho sparganura sappho (Lesson) (Aves: Trochilidae). In: Boletín Ornitológico. Bd. 9, Nr. 1/2, 1977, S. 10–11
• Jon Fjeldså, Niels Krabbe: Birds of the High Andes: A Manual to the Birds of the Temperate Zone of the Andes and Patagonia, South America. Apollo Books, Stenstrup 1990, ISBN 87-88757-16-1.

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
• Trochilinae
• Birds of the Bolivian Andes
• Birds of the Gran Chaco
• Hummingbird species of South America
• Birds described in 1812