biology

Grey-bellied comet

Grey-bellied comet is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Grey-bellied comet rather than just read about it. In short: The grey-bellied comet (Taphrolesbia griseiventris) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found only in a few small areas of Peru.

Key takeaways

Grey-bellied comet belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Grey-bellied comet to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Grey-bellied comet from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The grey-bellied comet (Taphrolesbia griseiventris) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found only in a few small areas of Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland and rural gardens. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Description The grey-bellied comet is a large hummingbird with a long beak and a deeply forked tail, growing to 14 to 17 centimetres (5.5 to 6.7 in). The upperparts are bronzy-green and the long green tail feathers have orangeish tips. The underparts are grey and the male has a blue throat. The tail of the female is shorter than that of the male. Both sexes have a small white spot behind the eye.

Habitat The grey-bellied comet has a limited range which contributes to its currently being endangered. The bird has been found living in five separate, but close sites in north central Peru in the Andes mountains. The grey-bellied comet inhabits areas of steep, rocky, and dry slopes with some vegetation. The bird mainly lives at altitudes of 2,750 to 3,170 metres (9,020 to 10,400 ft) above sea level.

Ecological role The grey-bellied comet plays a similar role as other hummingbirds in pollinating woody shrubs and trees.

Population and conservation status Estimates in 2012 for the grey-bellied comet put the population at around 375 to 1,499 individual birds. Habitat modification and loss are the largest contributing factor to the species declining population. Human modification to the habitat with agriculture is fragmenting and decreasing the already small portion of land the bird inhabits. The IUCN has listed the bird as being "Endangered".

References

External links Image of Grey-bellied Comet - Taphrolesbia griseiventris

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Grey-bellied comet

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Grey-bellied comet claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Grey-bellied comet before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Grey-bellied comet ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Grey-bellied comet

In research: Grey-bellied comet appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Grey-bellied comet in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Grey-bellied comet is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Birds described in 1883, Birds of the Peruvian Andes, Endemic birds of Peru, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Grey-bellied comet outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Grey-bellied comet” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Grey-bellied comet in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Grey-bellied comet means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Grey-bellied comet out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Grey-bellied comet in simple terms?

The grey-bellied comet (Taphrolesbia griseiventris) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found only in a few small areas of Peru.

Why does Grey-bellied comet matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Grey-bellied comet?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Grey-bellied comet.