Doricha enicura
The Slender Sheartail (Doricha enicura) is a dazzlingly distinctive hummingbird, celebrated for the male's remarkably elongated, deeply forked tail, which can be nearly twice the length of its body. This small yet striking species typically measures around 10-12 cm in length, with the male's tail adding another 8-11 cm to this measurement, and weighs a mere 2.5-3.5 grams. Males boast iridescent green upperparts, a shimmering magenta gorget, and a white chest band, contrasting sharply with the...
This hummingbird primarily inhabits humid and semi-humid evergreen or pine-oak forests, forest borders, clearings, and mature shade coffee plantations at elevations typically ranging from 500 to 2,000 meters. It can occasionally be found at lower elevations down to 200m or higher up to 2,500m.
The Slender Sheartail feeds predominantly on nectar collected from a variety of flowering plants, using its long bill and tongue to access deep corollas. It also supplements its diet with small insects and spiders, which are caught on the wing or gleaned from vegetation, particularly important du...
Slender Sheartails are diurnal and exhibit typical hummingbird foraging activity throughout the day, often becoming less active during the hottest parts of the afternoon. Males are highly territorial, aggressively defending favored patches of flowering plants from other hummingbirds, including th...
The Slender Sheartail is a resident species endemic to the highlands of Central America, maintaining a relatively restricted but stable distribution across a contiguous range. Its primary breeding and year-round range extends from southern Mexico, particularly in the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas,...
Least Concern
- The male's tail can be up to 11 cm long, making it proportionally one of the longest tails among all hummingbird species relative to body size. - Its scientific name, *enicura*, comes from Greek words meaning "like a spear" and "tail," aptly describing the male's distinctive caudal appendage. -...