Image via Macaulay Library
Scaled Metaltail
- Scientific name
- Metallura aeneocauda
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Conservation status
- Least concern
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Wing shape
- Pointed
- Tail shape
- Notched
Where it came from
The Scaled Metaltail (Metallura aeneocauda) is a hummingbird species native to the high-altitude, temperate forests of the Andes, specifically within Peru and Bolivia. It was formally described by the ornithologist John Gould in 1846. As a member of the Metallura genus, it evolved to thrive in the rugged, shrubby ecotones of the montane cloud forest, where its specialized metallic plumage serves as an adaptation for light-deflection in misty, high-sun environments.
The bird is characterized by its distinctive notched tail and pointed wings, which are evolutionary responses to the high-energy demands of foraging in variable wind conditions found at altitudes above 2,500 meters. The design—marked by the bronze-green scales for which it is named—was shaped by natural selection to assist in camouflage against mossy, lichen-covered Andean bark. Historically, it has remained a subject of interest for naturalists documenting the biodiversity of the Yungas ecoregion.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
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About Scaled Metaltail
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