Red-tailed Comet

 

The Red-tailed Comet (Sappho sparganurus) is a medium-sized hummingbird.

This species of hummingbird can be found in the Central Andes of Bolivia and Argentina, in Chile and in Peru.

The genus name refers to Sappho, an ancient Greek poet of Lesbos. The species name sparganus derives from the Greek words σπαργανόω and ουρά, meaning “decorated tail”.

In at least part of its range it is known in the local Quechua language as Q’ori Kenti (“golden hummingbird”). It is called the picaflor cometa in Spanish.

For this particular water color I used mainly different shades of green (May Green, Permanent Green), Red (Carmin), a bit of Indian Yellow (which is one of my favourite colors), Violet and Payne´s Grey and Black.

 

Red-tailed Comet (water color on paper; March 2018)

 

And if you feel in the mood for reading a bit more about hummingbirds and also watch some lovely videos, please visit my friend´s Jill Weatherholt´s blog, who apart from being an awesome writer is also very passionate about these beautiful birds and is lucky to have the opportunity to feed them!