Lost and found: a gap analysis for the Neotropical avifaunaA photo of the holotype can be found in this pdf
Coppery Thorntail
Discosura letitiae
Data Deficient. This hummingbird is known from
two specimens simply labelled ‘Bolivia?’ both
taken prior to 1852, when it was described (see
Fig. 3). Its taxonomic validity was questioned until
a museum study26 concluded that the specimens
did not represent immature or variant plumages of
Racquet-tailed Coquette Discosura longicauda
(probably the most closely related species) or a
hybrid form. However, because of the inaccuracy
of trade-skin label data in the 19th century, as well
as subsequent changes to the international border,
we cannot be sure exactly where these specimens
came from. As an example, the type-description is
published alongside the first mention of ‘Trochilus
dohrnii’—the Hook-billed Hermit Ramphodon
dohrnii of the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil—
which gives the country of origin as Ecuador6.
These inaccuracies notwithstanding, it has been
postulated that the Coppery Thorntail could occur
in the lowland forests of present-day north or
north-east Bolivia, as this region is relatively
poorly known64. The only congener currently
known here is Black-bellied Thorntail D.
langsdorffi, with records from extreme north-west
Pando57—a listing of the latter species from dpto.
La Paz30 is probably in error75. If the Coppery
Thorntail survives, and there seems to be no
compelling reason to suspect otherwise, it is
probably a bird of the upper levels and borders of
primary and secondary forest. Given our
ignorance of its whereabouts, the would-be
rediscoverer is advised to check the upperparts
colour (whether coppery or green) of all thorntails
encountered anywhere in the Amazonian lowlands
and foothills, especially within or near the borders
of Bolivia.
www.neomorphus.com/work/JPDF/lostandfound.pdf
