| White-tailed emerald | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Strisores |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Genus: | Microchera |
| Species: | M. chionura |
| Binomial name | |
| Microchera chionura (Gould, 1851) | |
 | |
The white-tailed emerald (Microchera chionura) is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. [3] [4]
The white-tailed emerald was formerly placed with the coppery-headed emerald in the genus Elvira. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that these two species were closely related to the snowcap in the then-monospecific genus Microchera . [5] The International Ornithological Committee and the Clements taxonomy placed the three species together in Microchera which has priority. However, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World retains them in Elvira. [3] [6] [4]
The white-tailed emerald is 7.5 to 8 cm (3.0 to 3.1 in) long. Males weigh about 3.3 g (0.12 oz) and females 3.1 g (0.11 oz). Both sexes have an almost straight black bill whose mandible has a pinkish base. The adult male has bronzy green upperparts that becomes dark copper-bronze on the uppertail coverts. Its central two pairs of tail feathers are copper-bronze and the other three pairs white with black tips. It has a glittering green throat and chest and white belly, vent, and undertail coverts. The adult female also has bronzy green upperparts. Its central two pairs of tail feathers are bronzy and the other three pairs white with a black band near the tip. Its underparts are dull white with bronzy green flanks. The immature male is similar to the adult but with duller underparts that have grayish buff fringes to the feathers. Immature females have grayer underparts than the adult. [7]
The white-tailed emerald is found in the highlands of the Pacific slope from south-central Costa Rica to central Panama and also locally on the Caribbean slope in Panama. It inhabits the edges and interior of moist to humid montane forest and secondary forest, and also plantations and gardens. In the forest interior males are often found in the canopy and females in the understory. In elevation it ranges from 750 to 2,000 m (2,500 to 6,600 ft) but in Costa Rica breeds mostly between 1,000 and 1,700 m (3,300 and 5,600 ft). [7]
The white-tailed emerald's movements are not fully understood. In Costa Rica some individuals move both upslope and down outside the breeding season. [7]
The white-tailed emerald feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants at both the edges and interior of the forest. In addition to nectar, it captures small arthropods by hawking from a perch. [7]
The white-tailed emerald's breeding season extends from June to November. Males court females at leks in small groups. Nothing else is known about the species' breeding phenology and its nest has not been described. [7]
The white-tailed emerald's song is "a prolonged, thin scratchy twittering mixed with buzzing or gurgling notes". It also makes "soft scratchy chipping notes" when foraging and "high-pitched, buzzy notes" when chasing. [7]
The IUCN has assessed the white-tailed emerald as being of Least Concern. Its population is estimated to be at least 20,000 mature individuals and stable. No immediate threats have been identified. [1] It is considered locally common in some protected areas, but "deforestation [is] extensive and continuing in at least the lower part of its altitudinal range". [7]
The magenta-throated woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
The snowcap is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The coppery-headed emerald is a small hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Costa Rica.
The volcano hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. This hummingbird is the one that appears on the 20 thousand colones bill from Costa Rica.
The purple-throated mountaingem is a species of hummingbird in tribe Lampornithini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The white-throated mountaingem or white-throated mountain-gem is a species of hummingbird in tribe Lampornithini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and Panama.
The green thorntail is a small hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama.
The garden emerald is a small hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
The bronze-tailed plumeleteer is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The green-crowned brilliant is species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama. It is also known as the green-fronted brilliant.
The blue-vented hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
The white-eared hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from the southwestern U.S. to Nicaragua.
The white-bellied emerald is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panamá, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
The golden-crowned emerald is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to western Mexico.
Canivet's emerald is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
The stripe-tailed hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from southeastern Mexico to Panama.
The white-bellied mountaingem or white-bellied mountain-gem is a species of hummingbird in tribe Lampornithini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
The scaly-breasted hummingbird or scaly-breasted sabrewing is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The crowned woodnymph or violet-crowned woodnymph, is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from Belize and Guatemala to far-northern Peru.
The Talamanca hummingbird or admirable hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "mountain gems", tribe Lampornithini in subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
