marvellous spatuletail

The Marvellous spatuletail (Loddigesia mirabilis) also known as the Peruvian
racquet-tailed hummingbird exists only in a remote valley of northern Peru, the mountain pass at Abra Patricia, where their preferred habitat is the edge of forests. Marvellous spatuletail is unique amongst birds because it has only four tail feathers. The male’s outer two are elongated and end in a spoon-shaped or spatule, violet-blue disc.  He moves his tail feathers independently and frantically waves and crosses them in wild patterns as he hovers, during a courting display for his potential mate. The Marvellous spatuletail is a medium-sized (about 15 cm long) white, green and bronze hummingbird adorned with blue crest feathers. It has a brilliant turquoise gorget and a black line down its white underbelly. Due to the Marvellous spatuletail’s habitat destruction for the production of illegal drugs, small population size, and limited range, this beautiful little rare bird is evaluated as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Unfortunately, the spectacular tail feathers also make this hummingbird a target for poachers’ slingshots and as such males are outnumbered by females by more than 5-1. In 2006, the American Bird Conservancy provided Peruvian conservation partner ECOAN with support to sign a conservation easement with the Pomacochas Community to protect and manage about 100 acres (0.40 km²) of significant habitat for the Marvellous spatuletail hummingbird. Over 30,000 saplings of native trees and bushes have since been planted there for the Marvellous spatuletail. This conservation easement is the first of its kind in Peru.