Calothorax pulcher
The Beautiful Sheartail, Calothorax pulcher, is a diminutive and striking hummingbird endemic to the arid and semi-arid regions of central and southern Mexico. Males are particularly breathtaking, showcasing a glittering magenta-purple gorget that extends into elongated side-feathers, contrasting with their iridescent green back and white undertail coverts. A key distinguishing feature for males is their deeply forked, 'sheartail' - the outer rectrices are significantly elongated and curve ou...
Found in arid and semi-arid scrublands, thorn forests, and dry oak woodlands, typically at elevations between 1,000 and 2,500 meters.
Feeds primarily on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, supplemented with small insects and spiders captured in flight or gleaned from foliage.
Beautiful Sheartails exhibit typical hummingbird activity patterns, being most active during daylight hours, foraging intensely in the early morning and late afternoon, and roosting at night. Foraging involves hovering expertly to extract nectar from tubular flowers and hawking small insects in m...
The Beautiful Sheartail is endemic to central and southern Mexico, primarily found on the Pacific slope. Its breeding and resident range extends through the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Morelos, and Puebla, with some records from México State and Michoacán. It is generally non-migratory, maintaini...
Least Concern
- The 'sheartail' of the male Beautiful Sheartail is one of the most distinctive tail shapes among all hummingbirds, with outer feathers that can be twice as long as the inner ones. - Despite its dazzling appearance, the Beautiful Sheartail is one of the smaller hummingbird species, weighing roug...