- Bearded Mountaineer
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Bearded Mountaineer Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Apodiformes Family: Trochilidae Genus: Oreonympha Species: O. nobilis Binomial name Oreonympha nobilis
Gould, 1869The Bearded Mountaineer (Oreonympha nobilis) is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. It is found only in Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.
The ornithologist John Gould described the species in 1869, from a specimen collected by H. Whitely at Tinta District, and placed it in its own genus Oreonympha. He recognised a kinship with Oxypogon and Ramphomicron.[1] The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek words oreo- "mountain" and "nympha" "nymph", while the specific epithet is the Latin adjective nobilis, "noble". A study of mitochondrial DNA of hummingbirds shows it to be most closely related to the Bearded Helmetcrest (Oxypogon guerinii) and the Rufous-capped Thornbill (Chalcostigma ruficeps). The other member of the genus Chalcostigma lay outside the group, suggesting the genus might need revising in the future.[2] Two subspecies are recognised - the more widespread nominate subspecies nobilis has a blue eyebrow, while the more restricted albolimbata has white.[3]
Measuring 15.5 to 16.5 cm (6-6.5 in) in length, it is a large hummingbird with a long tail and a 2.4 cm (1 in) long bill. The underparts of both sexes are white, while the tail is white underneath with black feather tips. The male has a green and purple throat.[3] The upper parts are a bronze-sheened brown and the legs and bill are black.[1]
The species is endemic to Peru, where it is found in high altitude valleys in the south-central Andes, from 2700 to 3900 m (9000-13000 ft). It lives in scrubland, and often visits tobacco (Nicotiana) plants along roadsides.[3]
References
- ^ a b Gould, John (1869). "Description of a new genus and species of the family Trochilidae". Journal of zoology: 295–96. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=BvIKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA295&dq=Oreonympha+nobilis&hl=en&ei=P-nzTcqBB4m-uwPDqOzOBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Oreonympha%20nobilis&f=false.
- ^ McGuire, Jimmy A.; Witt Christopher C.; Remsen, J. V. Jr; Dudley R.; Altshuler, Douglas L. (2008). "A higher-level taxonomy for hummingbird". Journal of Ornithology 150: 155–65. doi:10.1007/s10336-008-0330-x. http://www.msb.unm.edu/birds/publications/McGuire_etal_2008_J.Ornithol._Trochilid_Taxonomy.pdf.
- ^ a b c Schulenberg, Thomas S. (2007). Birds of Peru. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. 242–43. ISBN 069113023X. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=yFuWUc7l0uQC&pg=PA242&dq=Bearded+Mountaineer&hl=en&ei=WmPzTfuUA47mvQOdkvy7Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Bearded%20Mountaineer&f=false. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- BirdLife International 2004. Oreonympha nobilis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 10 July 2007.
Categories:- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Hummingbirds
- Birds of Peru
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