Doricha eliza
The Mexican Sheartail (Doricha eliza) is a diminutive and striking hummingbird, showcasing pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males are instantly recognizable by their brilliant iridescent green upperparts, a stunning magenta or violet gorget that gleams in the sunlight, and most notably, a deeply forked, scissor-like tail that can extend up to two-thirds of their 9-10 cm total length. Females, in contrast, are more subtly attired with duller green upperparts, whitish underparts, and a much shorte...
Found exclusively in low-elevation coastal scrub, dune vegetation, semi-deciduous forest edges, and secondary growth near sea level, often in disturbed areas or plantations.
Primarily feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, particularly those with red or tubular flowers. Also consumes small arthropods, which are hawked in flight or gleaned from foliage, providing essential protein.
Mexican Sheartails are diurnal, spending their active hours foraging and defending territories. Males are fiercely territorial, aggressively chasing away other hummingbirds, insects, or even larger birds from favored patches of flowering plants. Courtship involves spectacular aerial displays by t...
The Mexican Sheartail is an endemic resident of Mexico, exhibiting a highly disjunct distribution across two primary lowland coastal regions. One population is found along the central Gulf coast in Veracruz, particularly concentrated in areas like the Catemaco region and southward. The other, lar...
Vulnerable
- The male Mexican Sheartail's deeply forked tail can measure up to 6 cm, making it disproportionately long compared to its tiny 9-10 cm body. - Its scientific name, *Doricha eliza*, honors Eliza Gould, the wife of renowned British ornithologist John Gould, who often illustrated his works. - This...