Chlorestes candida
The White-bellied Emerald (Chlorestes candida) is a dazzling and distinctive hummingbird, renowned for its striking plumage contrast. Measuring a diminutive 8-9 cm (3.1-3.5 inches) in length and weighing a mere 3.2-4.5 grams, this tiny avian jewel boasts brilliant iridescent green upperparts that cascade down its back, contrasting sharply with its pristine, snow-white belly and undertail coverts. A key identification mark is its straight, bright coral-red bill, tipped with a distinct black en...
Found in humid evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, forest edges, clearings, and plantations, from sea level up to 1,800 meters (occasionally higher).
Primarily consumes nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants, supplemented by small insects for essential protein.
The White-bellied Emerald is a highly active, diurnal species, constantly on the move from dawn to dusk. Its foraging strategy is primarily nectivorous, involving expert hovering at flowers, but it also gleans small insects from foliage or snatches them mid-air. Males are characteristically terri...
The White-bellied Emerald is primarily distributed across eastern and southern Mexico, extending its resident breeding range southward through most of Central America. This includes the states of Veracruz and Oaxaca in Mexico, continuing through the Yucatán Peninsula, Belize, northern Guatemala, ...
Least Concern
- Its name "candida" is Latin for "white," directly referring to its pristine white belly. - Like all hummingbirds, it can fly backward, a unique ability among birds. - Its heart rate can exceed 1,200 beats per minute during intense activity. - To fuel its high metabolism, it consumes roughly hal...