Eriocnemis
Encyclopedia
Eriocnemis is a genus
of hummingbird
s, which - together with the species in the genus Haplophaedia
- are known as pufflegs. They occur in humid forest, woodland and shrub at altitudes of 1000 to 4800 m. asl
in the Andes
of Argentina
, Bolivia
, Peru
, Ecuador
, Colombia
, and Venezuela
. The males have a colourful green, coppery or blue plumage
, and the females are generally somewhat duller. The most striking feature of both sexes in the genus Eriocnemis are their dense snow-white leg-puffs which consist of feather tufts that resemble woolly panties. One species - the Black-thighed Puffleg
- is characterized by black coloured leg-puffs. Most have a contrasting blue, purple or coppery-red vent, but this is green in the Black-thighed and Emerald-bellied Puffleg. Further common features of all species are the straight black bill and the slightly to deeply forked tail. The genus name was coined by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach
who called them Snowy panties.
While most members of this genus remain fairly common, three species (Colourful Puffleg, Black-breasted Puffleg
and Gorgeted Puffleg
) are critically endangered
and one (the Turquoise-throated Puffleg
) is possibly extinct.
In addition there were the controversial species: Eriocnemis söderströmi, E. isaacsoni and E. dyselius which were each only known by one specimen
. In the case of E. söderströmi it could have been either the female of E. godini or a hybrid between E. luciani and E. nigrivestris. E. dyselius was nothing more than a melanistic individual of E. cupreoventris. Today these species are considered invalid.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of hummingbird
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...
s, which - together with the species in the genus Haplophaedia
Haplophaedia
Haplophaedia is a small genus of hummingbirds, which - together with the members of the genus Eriocnemis - are known as pufflegs. They are found at low levels in humid forest, woodland and shrub at altitudes of 1200 to 3100 m. asl in the Andes of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia...
- are known as pufflegs. They occur in humid forest, woodland and shrub at altitudes of 1000 to 4800 m. asl
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. The males have a colourful green, coppery or blue plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
, and the females are generally somewhat duller. The most striking feature of both sexes in the genus Eriocnemis are their dense snow-white leg-puffs which consist of feather tufts that resemble woolly panties. One species - the Black-thighed Puffleg
Black-thighed Puffleg
The Black-thighed Puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. It is found at humid forest edge and ravines in the Andean highlands of Colombia and northern Ecuador. It is threatened by habitat loss. As suggested by its name, the feathering around its legs is black, which is...
- is characterized by black coloured leg-puffs. Most have a contrasting blue, purple or coppery-red vent, but this is green in the Black-thighed and Emerald-bellied Puffleg. Further common features of all species are the straight black bill and the slightly to deeply forked tail. The genus name was coined by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach
Ludwig Reichenbach
Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach was a German botanist and ornithologist.He was the son of Johann Friedrich Jakob Reichenbach, the author in 1818 of the first Greek-German dictionary. He was the father of Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach, equally a botanist and an eminent orchid...
who called them Snowy panties.
While most members of this genus remain fairly common, three species (Colourful Puffleg, Black-breasted Puffleg
Black-breasted Puffleg
The Black-breasted Puffleg is an average sized species of hummingbird endemic to Ecuador. It has a very restricted range, being found only on the Northwestern slopes of the Pichincha volcano and it is critically endangered...
and Gorgeted Puffleg
Gorgeted Puffleg
The Gorgeted Puffleg is a hummingbird endemic to Colombia. This species was discovered in 2005, but not confirmed as new until 2007...
) are critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
and one (the Turquoise-throated Puffleg
Turquoise-throated Puffleg
The Turquoise-throated Puffleg , also known as Godin's Puffleg, is a possibly extinct hummingbird from Ecuador and Colombia.-Description:...
) is possibly extinct.
Species
- Black-breasted PufflegBlack-breasted PufflegThe Black-breasted Puffleg is an average sized species of hummingbird endemic to Ecuador. It has a very restricted range, being found only on the Northwestern slopes of the Pichincha volcano and it is critically endangered...
, Eriocnemis nigrivestis - Gorgeted PufflegGorgeted PufflegThe Gorgeted Puffleg is a hummingbird endemic to Colombia. This species was discovered in 2005, but not confirmed as new until 2007...
, Eriocnemis isabellae - Glowing PufflegGlowing PufflegThe Glowing Puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on...
, Eriocnemis vestita - Black-thighed PufflegBlack-thighed PufflegThe Black-thighed Puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. It is found at humid forest edge and ravines in the Andean highlands of Colombia and northern Ecuador. It is threatened by habitat loss. As suggested by its name, the feathering around its legs is black, which is...
, Eriocnemis derbyi - Turquoise-throated PufflegTurquoise-throated PufflegThe Turquoise-throated Puffleg , also known as Godin's Puffleg, is a possibly extinct hummingbird from Ecuador and Colombia.-Description:...
, Eriocnemis godini - possibly extinct (20th century?) - Coppery-bellied PufflegCoppery-bellied PufflegThe Coppery-bellied Puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Colombia and Venezuela....
, Eriocnemis cupreoventris - Sapphire-vented PufflegSapphire-vented PufflegThe Sapphire-vented Puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela....
, Eriocnemis luciani- Coppery-naped PufflegCoppery-naped PufflegThe Coppery-naped Puffleg, Eriocnemis luciani sapphiropygia, is a species of hummingbird found in the Andes in Peru in wet montane forest edges between 2000-4000 m altitude. It is usually considered a subspecies of the Sapphire-vented Puffleg, Eriocnemis luciani.-References:*Handbook of the...
, Eriocnemis (luciani) sapphiropygia
- Coppery-naped Puffleg
- Golden-breasted PufflegGolden-breasted PufflegThe Golden-breasted Puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:...
, Eriocnemis mosquera - Blue-capped PufflegBlue-capped PufflegThe Blue-Capped Puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Argentina and Bolivia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and heavily degraded former forest....
, Eriocnemis glaucopoides - Colourful Puffleg, Eriocnemis mirabilis
- Emerald-bellied PufflegEmerald-bellied PufflegThe Emerald-bellied Puffleg is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and heavily degraded former forest....
, Eriocnemis alinae
In addition there were the controversial species: Eriocnemis söderströmi, E. isaacsoni and E. dyselius which were each only known by one specimen
Specimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
. In the case of E. söderströmi it could have been either the female of E. godini or a hybrid between E. luciani and E. nigrivestris. E. dyselius was nothing more than a melanistic individual of E. cupreoventris. Today these species are considered invalid.