Eupetomena macroura
The Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, *Eupetomena macroura*, is a magnificent and easily recognizable species among the hummingbirds, primarily due to its exceptional size and deeply forked tail. Measuring an impressive 15-17 cm (6-6.7 in) in length, with its distinctive tail accounting for nearly half of that, and weighing around 9 grams (0.3 oz), it is one of the largest hummingbirds in its range. Its plumage is a dazzling iridescent blue-violet over most of its body and tail, contrasting sharply...
This adaptable hummingbird favors open or semi-open environments, including savanna, cerrado, dry woodlands, gallery forests, scrubland edges, and increasingly, urban gardens and parks, generally found at elevations from sea level up to around 1000 meters.
Its diet primarily consists of nectar from a wide range of flowering plants, supplemented by small insects and spiders, which are either gleaned from vegetation or caught in flight.
Swallow-tailed Hummingbirds are intensely active and diurnal, primarily foraging from dawn to dusk, often exhibiting crepuscular activity. They are highly territorial, with males vigorously defending prime feeding patches, chasing away other hummingbirds and even larger birds with remarkable aggr...
The Swallow-tailed Hummingbird is a widespread resident species found across a significant portion of eastern and central South America, with no migratory patterns reported. Its primary distribution extends throughout much of Brazil, from the northern state of Maranhão south to Rio Grande do Sul,...
Least Concern
- The Swallow-tailed Hummingbird is often considered the largest species of hummingbird found in most of its geographical range. - Its distinctive deeply forked tail, which can be nearly as long as its body, earned it the popular Brazilian name 'Beija-flor-tesoura,' meaning 'Scissor Hummingbird. ...