The Escudo hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl handleyi) is a hummingbird in the subfamily Trochilinae. It has previously been distinct species, but more recently it is generally treated as a subspecies of the rufous-tailed hummingbird, A. tzacatl.

Escudo hummingbird
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Clade: Strisores
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Amazilia
Species:
Subspecies:
A. t. handleyi
Trinomial name
Amazilia tzacatl handleyi
Wetmore, 1963
Synonyms

Amazilia handleyi Wetmore, 1963

It is endemic to Isla Escudo de Veraguas in Panama. Except for its larger size, it is similar to the rufous-tailed hummingbird. Its natural habitat is tropical moist shrubland and woodland. With a total range estimated at only 3 km2, it is potentially threatened by habitat loss or invasive species.

Taxonomy and systematics

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The Escudo hummingbird was described as a separate species in 1963,[1] but its status has often been debated.[2] Currently, it is considered a subspecies of the larger A. tzacatl group.[3] Like many endemic taxa of Isla Escudo de Veraguas, it likely diverged from the mainland taxa somewhere around 9,000 years ago when post-glacial sea-level rise separated the island.[2]

Description

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The Escudo hummingbird, like other subspecies within A. tzacatl, is a medium-sized hummingbird with green plumage, a pink beak, and a distinctive rufous tail.[3] Unlike mainland subspecies, however, the Escudo birds are notably larger and darker in overall color.[1]

Conservation

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When it was still considered as a distinct species, it was classified as Vulnerable species by the IUCN, noting that any evidence of a declining population could lead to an uplisting to Critically Endangered status.[4] In 2008, it was removed from the IUCN Red List, however, as only taxa considered as full species can be listed.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b Wetmore, Alexander (1963). "Additions to records of birds known from the Republic of Panamá". Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 145 (6): 1–11.
  2. ^ a b Miller, Matthew J.; Lelevier, Michael J.; Bermingham, Eldredge; Klicka, John T.; Escalante, Patricia; Winker, Kevin (2011). "Phylogeography of the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird ( Amazilia tzacatl )". The Condor. 113 (4): 806–816. doi:10.1525/cond.2011.100226. ISSN 1938-5129.
  3. ^ a b Reich, Sarah K. (2020-03-04), Billerman, Shawn M.; Keeney, Brooke K.; Rodewald, Paul G.; Schulenberg, Thomas S. (eds.), "Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl)", Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, doi:10.2173/bow.rtlhum.01, retrieved 2024-04-12
  4. ^ BirdLife International (2004). "Amazilia handleyi" IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  5. ^ BirdLife International (2008). 2008 IUCN Redlist status changes. Retrieved 23 May 2008.