The streamertails are in the genus Trochilus that are Endemism to Jamaica. It is the type genus of the family Trochilidae. Today, most authorities consider the two taxa in this genus as separate species, but some (e.g. AOU) continue to treat them as conspecific, in which case T. scitulus is a subspecies of T. polytmus. A wide range of applies to this combined species, including green-and-black streamertail, Jamaican streamertail, or simply streamertail. The name "streamertail" is a reference to the greatly elongated rectrices of the males.
Taxonomy and species list
The genus
Trochilus was introduced in 1758 by Swedish naturalist
Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his
Systema Naturae.
The genus name is from the
Ancient Greek τροχιλος/
trokhilos, a small unidentified bird mentioned by
Aristotle. Later authors assumed the word referred to a wren.
The
type species was subsequently designated as the red-billed streamertail.
In his
Systema Naturae, Linnaeus included 18 species of hummingbirds, all of which he placed in
Trochilus. Today, 12 of these species are still recognised, but only the red-billed streamertail is retained in its original genus.
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Schuchmann, K. L. (1999). Genus Trochilus. Pp. 572 in: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, K. eds. (1999). Handbook of the Birds of the World.. Vol. 5. Barn-owls to Hummingbirds. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
