HUMMINGBIRD SPECIES

Glittering-bellied Emerald

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chlorostilbon lucidus

The Glittering-bellied Emerald was formerly known under the scientific name of Chlorostilbon aureoventris.

It is a small hummingbird with males measuring about 3.5 - 3.9 inches long and females about 3.5 - 3.9 inches long.
The weight ranges from 3.5 - 4.5 grams.

Adult males have gold-green upperparts with emerald-green uppertail-coverts. Belly is iridescent bronze-green, whereas chin, throat and upperbreast are blue- green. Usually, underparts are more iridescent than upperparts.
Flight and tail feathers are bluish-black. Tail is slightly forked. They have dull bronze-green crown and forehead, with small whitish post-ocular patch and blackish lores.
The short, straight bill is red with black tip. Eyes are dark brown. Legs and feet are blackish.

Female have slightly golden-green upperparts, including crown and forehead. Uppertail-coverts are emerald- green. Underparts are whitish with pale brownish-gray breast and belly.
Tail is slightly forked. Rectrices have green bases and broad blue tips.
The four outer tail feathers are blue with pale gray V-shaped tips. Bill has more extended black tip than in males.
There is a whitish post-ocular streak behind the dark eye.

Juveniles resemble adult females.

Gives high-pitched chirps and whistles. Calls are very short and often given from exposed perches such as shrubs and treetops. These calls are uttered by territorial birds feeding at rich food sources.

Alarm calls are shrill and given at high frequency when the birds are threatened.

Feeds on nectar from numerous flowers such as Tabebuia, Eucalyptus and Jacaranda acutifolia. It pierces the base of petals to get the nectar.

It also feeds on fruits of Ficus diabolicus. Insects are caught by hawking in the air, and it also takes spiders.

Common in a wide range of semi-arid to moderately humid scrub, savanna, grassland, edges of subtropical moist forests and also parks and gardens.

Found in north-eastern Argentina, eastern and central Bolivia, eastern Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

The female builds a cup-shaped nest with plant fibers, pieces of leaf and bark strips which are held together with woven spider webs.

Green moss and lichens are added to the outer part as perfect camouflage in the vegetation. Inner cup is lined with softer materials such as downy seeds or plant fibers.

It is placed in a small tree, on thin branch or even on exposed root at about 1 meter above ground.

She lays 2 white eggs and incubates alone for 14 days.

SOURCES:
http://www.oiseaux-birds.com
https://ebird.org
https://en.wikipedia.org