Mystery bird: marvellous spatuletail, Loddigesia mirabilis

[Judi Lynn]

Mystery bird: marvellous spatuletail, Loddigesia mirabilis
This South American species is unique amongst all birds because it has only four tail feathers -- however, in the male, two of those tail feathers are truly spectacular

http://farm6.static.flickr.com.nyud.net:8090/5097/5500357018_53eb3a1ce1.jpg

Marvellous spatuletail, Loddigesia mirabilis, also known as the Peruvian racquet-tailed hummingbird or Loddiges's spatuletail, photographed at Río Utcubamba, Peru, South America.

Question: This stunning South American mystery bird is astonishingly rare due to the illegal drugs trade. Can you name the species before it goes extinct?

Response: This is an adult male marvellous spatuletail, Loddigesia mirabilis. This beautiful hummingbird is unique among birds, because it has just four feathers in its tail. In the male, the outer two of these tail feathers are the spatula-shaped streamers.

This species is on a knife's-edge between life and death. The reason is due to habitat destruction, a significant proportion of which is due to habitat destruction for the production of illegal drugs. The video below gives you a brief glimpse of the male's courtship dance using those remarkable tail feathers:

Video provided:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/mar/07/3

[xchrom]

1. Wow. Nt

[Altoid_Cyclist]

2. Thank you for sharing that!!!

Not too many people will ever accuse the human race of being overly zealous when it comes to being good stewards of the planet.

[truedelphi]

3. great bird photos. Thanks... n/t

[Control-Z]

4. Just beautiful! n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. I would love to see it in flight.