Escudo hummingbird
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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.
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
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
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
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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- ↑ BirdLife International (2004). "Amazilia handleyi" IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
- ↑ BirdLife International (2008). 2008 IUCN Redlist status changes. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
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