Chlorostilbon gibsoni
Chlorostilbon gibsoni, the Red-billed Emerald, is a diminutive and dazzling hummingbird species primarily found in the tropical dry forests and scrublands of Colombia and Venezuela. Measuring approximately 7.5 to 8.5 cm in length and weighing a mere 3-3.5 grams, the male is readily identified by its glittering golden-green to emerald green plumage and a diagnostic bright red bill tipped with black. Its deeply forked tail, with variations among its subspecies, is another key field mark. Female...
Primarily found in dry scrub, arid lowland areas, open woodlands, and thorny thickets, often adapting to gardens and coffee plantations, typically at elevations from sea level up to 2000 meters.
Feeds primarily on nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants, supplemented by small insects and spiders gleaned from foliage or captured in flight.
Red-billed Emeralds are intensely active and diurnal, reflecting the rapid metabolism characteristic of hummingbirds, often engaged in continuous foraging. Males are fiercely territorial, aggressively defending prime flower patches from rivals with swift aerial chases and sharp chattering calls. ...
The Red-billed Emerald is a non-migratory resident species with a relatively restricted distribution across northern South America, primarily within Colombia and Venezuela. Its range extends throughout north-central and northeastern Colombia, from the Magdalena Valley northwards to the Guajira Pe...
Least Concern
- The Red-billed Emerald's tiny heart can beat over 1,000 times per minute during strenuous activity, a testament to its incredible metabolic demands. - Its wings beat at an astonishing rate, often exceeding 50 times per second, creating the characteristic hummingbird 'hum' and appearing as a blu...