Bird Album
Red-tailed Comet
Sappho sparganurus (Shaw, 1812)
12–14 cmLength5.3 gWeight
The red-tailed comet (Sappho sparganurus) is a medium-sized hummingbird belonging to tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae, the "coquettes".
Busiest months: May and August–October · Most records: Argentina, Bolivia
Where and when it's recorded
Red-tailed Comet has been recorded at 28 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Casa ApachetaArgentina836 records
- PP Potrero de YalaArgentina260 records
- Reserva Natural Estricta Quebrada de Las Higueritas RNQHArgentina259 records
More places
- YaviArgentina217 records
- Reserva Gral. San MartínArgentina172 records
- Reserva Natural Privada Eco-Portal de PiedraArgentina161 records
- San Miguel Polylepis forestBolivia157 records
- Proyecto Seamos BosquesArgentina93 records
- Finca La MontañaArgentina87 records
- AstillerosBolivia73 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The red-tailed comet (Sappho sparganurus) is a medium-sized hummingbird belonging to tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae, the "coquettes". It is found in Argentina and Bolivia and possibly Chile and Peru.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Red-tailed Comet?
The Red-tailed Comet is about 12–14 cm long and weighs around 5.3 g.
Where does the Red-tailed Comet live?
Its breeding range: South America: northern Bolivia to central Chile. It is most often recorded in Argentina and Bolivia.
When is the best time to see the Red-tailed Comet?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May, August, September and October (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Red-tailed Comet endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-tailed Comet as Least Concern.
What does the Red-tailed Comet eat?
Main food: Nectar.
What family is the Red-tailed Comet in?
It belongs to the family Hummingbirds (Trochilidae), order Apodiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 12–14 cm
- Weight
- 5.3 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Nectar
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 63 mm
- Tail
- 87 mm
- Bill
- 20 mm
- Tarsus
- 6 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: northern Bolivia to central Chile
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Hummingbirds Trochilidae
- Genus
- Sappho
More from the family Hummingbirds
Crimson TopazTopaza pella
Fiery TopazTopaza pyra
White-necked JacobinFlorisuga mellivora
Black JacobinFlorisuga fusca
White-tipped SicklebillEutoxeres aquila
Buff-tailed SicklebillEutoxeres condamini
Saw-billed HermitRamphodon naevius
Hook-billed HermitGlaucis dohrnii
Bronzy HermitGlaucis aeneus
Rufous-breasted HermitGlaucis hirsutus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.