The World's Most Bizarre and, Yes, Marvelous Hummingbird

The Marvelous Spatuletail is indeed marvelous. And strange. The hummingbird, native to Peru and found only there, has just four tail feathers, but the male grows two of his tail feathers to enormous proportions. Each ends in a spoon-shaped (spatula-shaped?) violet-blue disc, which he waves and crosses in wild patterns to attract a mate.

Unfortunately, this amazing bird is endangered; it is listed on the IUCN red list, the international compilation of the world's rare and threatened wildlife. A new report released this month, by the American Bird Conservancy and ECOAN (the Asociación Ecosystemas Andinos), a South American conservation organization, raises the bar by documenting how little land is preserved for the protection of this and other species in Peru.

Focused on the Marañon region, in northern Peru. The Marañon–Alto Mayo Conservation Corridor constitutes a rugged and varied landscape covering over 6 million acres, including the Sechura Dessert, Tumbes-Piura dry forests, Marañon dry forests and Peruvian Yungas.

The new study identified 64 bird species deemed of "conservation importance," including 26 found only in Peru.

"The study not only sheds light on the problem of lack of protection for the key bird species and their habitats in the Marañon, it also provides a way forward by scientifically identifying 10 priority areas for conservation," said study co-author Hugo Arnal, American Bird Conservancy’s Director of International Sustainable Conservation. "This will provide the greatest conservation return for our investment in the area."

Video of the Marvelous Spatuletail Hummingbird