HUMMINGBIRD SPECIES

Puerto Rican Emerald

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chlorostilbon maugaeus

The Puerto Rican Emerald is a tiny iridescent green hummingbird displays sexual dimorphism, with different plumages in male and female.

This species is the smallest of all hummingbirds in this area, and is named “Zumbadorcito” in Spanish, meaning “small hummingbird”.

Males are 3.35 - 3.74 inches long and females are 2.95 - 3.35 inches long. Weight ranges from 3.4 - 3.8 grams.

Adult males have dark shining metallic green upperparts and uppertail-coverts. Their forked tail is mostly shining blue. Flight feathers are dark. Throat is iridescent bluish-green and the rest of underparts and undertail-coverts are shining green.

Forehead and crown are iridescent green. The short, straight bill is dull black above, whereas the lower mandible is red with black tip. Eyes are dark brown to almost black. Legs and feet are blackish, with white feathered thighs.

Females are duller, with dull dark green forehead and crown, shining grass green upperparts and uppertail-coverts. Throat and breast are pale gray, but the belly is darker.

Tail is less forked, with brown outer rectrices showing large white spot at tip. Other rectrices are shining green to blue.

Immature birds are similar to the adult females.

Utters high-pitched whistles as song, also used when chasing other hummingbirds.

Feeds on nectar from numerous flower species. It also takes insects such as flies, homopterans and hymenopterans, and small spiders too.

Frequents the coastal mangroves and the forested mountain summits. It is usually found in open forest, woodland and coffee plantations.

Found on the island of Puerto Rico.

The female builds a cup-shaped compact structure with dry plant fibers woven together. It is placed on low, thin horizontal branch in tree, shrub or bush.

She lays 2 white eggs and incubates alone during 14 - 16 days.

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