Microchera chionura
The White-tailed Emerald (Microchera chionura) is a captivating jewel of Central American cloud forests, renowned for its striking, eponymous pure white tail, a rare and distinguishing feature among hummingbirds. This diminutive species measures approximately 6.5-7 cm (2.6-2.8 in) in length and weighs a mere 2.5-3.5 grams. Males are dazzling iridescent emerald green over most of their plumage, contrasting sharply with their bright white belly and brilliant white tail, which may have dusky tip...
This species primarily inhabits humid evergreen forests, including cloud forests, forest edges, and shaded coffee plantations, typically at elevations between 800 and 2000 meters.
Their primary diet consists of nectar, extracted from a variety of small, often understory flowers, supplemented by small arthropods like insects and spiders, which provide essential protein.
White-tailed Emeralds are diurnal and largely solitary, foraging actively throughout the day. They exhibit a 'trap-lining' foraging strategy, repeatedly visiting a circuit of scattered, inconspicuous flowers for nectar, and also gleaning or hawking small insects and spiders in flight. Males are t...
The White-tailed Emerald is a resident species found exclusively in the highlands of Central America, spanning from the Pacific slope of extreme southeastern Chiapas in Mexico, through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, extending southward into northern Costa Rica. Its distribution ...
Least Concern
- The White-tailed Emerald is one of the smallest hummingbird species, often weighing less than a U.S. penny. - Its pure white tail is a distinctive and relatively rare feature among hummingbirds, making it easily identifiable in its range. - Despite its tiny size, males are fiercely territorial,...