Riccordia ricordii
The Cuban Emerald (Riccordia ricordii) is a vibrant, diminutive hummingbird endemic to Cuba and its adjacent archipelagos. Males are a breathtaking sight, adorned with shimmering emerald-green upperparts and belly, contrasting with a brilliant iridescent blue-green throat and chest. A distinct white post-ocular spot aids in identification, and their deeply forked, metallic blue-black tail adds to their elegant profile. Measuring approximately 10-11 cm (4 inches) in length and weighing a mere ...
The Cuban Emerald inhabits a variety of open and semi-open habitats, including forest edges, clearings, secondary growth, plantations, cultivated areas, gardens, and urban parks, from sea level to mid-elevations.
Primarily nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants, supplemented by small insects such as flies, gnats, and spiders, which are hawked in flight or gleaned from vegetation.
This diurnal hummingbird is relentlessly active, often seen foraging from dawn till dusk. It primarily feeds on nectar, exhibiting 'trap-lining' behavior by visiting a circuit of favored flowers, but also expertly hawks insects in mid-air or gleans them from foliage. Males are highly territorial,...
The Cuban Emerald is resident throughout the entire island of Cuba, including the main island (Grande), the Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth), and numerous smaller adjacent cays and archipelagos. It is non-migratory within its core range, maintaining stable populations year-round across these a...
Least Concern
- Its scientific name honors Jean Baptiste Ricord, a French naturalist who collected specimens in the Caribbean during the early 19th century. - Despite its small size, the Cuban Emerald is an incredibly agile flyer, capable of hovering, flying backward, and moving sideways with unparalleled prec...