- Puffleg
Taxobox
name = Pufflegs
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo =Trochiliformes
familia =Trochilidae
genus = "Eriocnemis"
genus_authority = Reichenbach, 1849
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = see text.The Pufflegs ("Eriocnemis") belong to a genus of small
hummingbirds which occur in theAndean regions ofBolivia ,Colombia ,Ecuador ,Peru ,Venezuela , andArgentina . Their habitat are tropical and subtropical montane and moist forests as well as scrublands and croplands in an altitude of 1500 to 4500 m asl. The males have a colorful or green shimmering plumage. Their most striking feature are dense snow-white leg-puffs which consist of feather tufts which resemble woolly panties. One species - theBlack-thighed Puffleg - is characterized by black coloured leg-puffs. Further common features of all species are the golden green dorsal feathers and the slightly forked tail. They were named by German naturalistLudwig Reichenbach who called them "Snowy panties".The genus "Eriocnemis" consists of twelve species of which three (the
Colorful Puffleg ,Black-breasted Puffleg andGorgeted Puffleg ) arecritically endangered and one (theTurquoise-throated Puffleg ) is possiblyextinct .Puffleg species
*
Black-breasted Puffleg , "Eriocnemis nigrivestis"
*Glowing Puffleg , "Eriocnemis vestitus"
*Black-thighed Puffleg , "Eriocnemis derbyi"
*Turquoise-throated Puffleg , "Eriocnemis godini" - possiblyextinct (20th century?)
*Sapphire-vented Puffleg , "Eriocnemis luciani"
*Coppery-bellied Puffleg , "Eriocnemis cupreoventris"
*Coppery-naped Puffleg , "Eriocnemis sapphiropygia"
*Golden-breasted Puffleg , "Eriocnemis mosquera"
*Blue-capped Puffleg , "Eriocnemis glaucopoides"
*Colorful Puffleg , "Eriocnemis mirabilis"
*Emerald-bellied Puffleg , "Eriocnemis alinae"
*Gorgeted Puffleg , "Eriocnemis isabellae"In addition there were the controversial species "Eriocnemis söderströmi", "Eriocnemis isaacsoni" and "Eriocnemis 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". Eriocnemis dyselius was nothing more than a melanistic individual of Eriocnemis cupreoventris. This species are considered invalid today.
External links
* [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1439-0361.2001.01025.x?cookieSet=1&journalCode=job Systematics and biogeography of the Andean genus Eriocnemis (Aves: Trochilidae) (Abstract)]
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