Urosticte

Taxobox
name = Urosticte


image_width =
image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Apodiformes
familia = Trochilidae
genus = "Urosticte"
genus_authority = Gould, 1853
subdivision_ranks = species
subdivision = 2"(see text)"

"Urosticte" is a genus of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family, which is restricted to humid forests growing on Andean slopes in north-western South America. Their common name, whitetips, refers to the conspicuous white tips on the central rectrices of the males. As the central rectrices are shorter than the outer, it appears as a large white spot on the central uppertail. Females, which have green-spotted white underparts, lack the white tips to the central rectrices, but instead have broad tips to the outer rectrices (white "tail-corners").

In this genus, the taxon "intermedia" has been considered a distinct species, or alternatively an intermediate between "U. benjamini" and "U. ruficrissa", leading to these being considered conspecific. At present, "intermedia" is considered a variant and junior synonym of "ruficrissa", resulting in two monotypic species being recognized:

pecies

* Purple-bibbed Whitetip ("Urosticte benjamini").
* Rufous-vented Whitetip ("Urosticte ruficrissa").

References

* [http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCprop141.html Split Urosticte ruficrissa from U. benjamini (and not recognize U. "intermedia")] - South American Check-list Committee.