Andean Emerald Uranomitra franciae Scientific name definitions

Andean Emeralds are found around humid and wet forest borders, second growth, and highland clearings with tress. They are most common above 1000 meters, but seasonal changes in elevation are not unusual. In western Peru, they also inhabit shrubby arid areas. By ear, they might be confused with a Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), but the song of the Andean Emerald is less melodic. These emeralds are usually seen by themselves, but may gather with other hummingbirds at flowering trees. Males and females are similar in appearance but the male boasts a blue crown and the female a green one. Both genders are green above, white below, and possess a coppery upper tail.

9–11 cm; male 5·6 g, female 5·3 g. Male has medium-sized, straight to slightly decurved bill, maxilla blackish, mandible coral-red with dark tip; crown glittering violet-blue; cheeks and neck glittering golden to emerald-green; rest of upperparts and flanks light to golden-green, with more copperish tinge towards uppertail-coverts; centre of underparts white; tail bronze-green to copperish, sometimes with purplish tinge to inner rectrices. Female has crown less glittering, more turquoise-blue to greenish. Juvenile male resembles female in crown coloration, also has brownish feather borders on entire upperparts; greyish brown on flanks. Race viridiceps has green crown and significantly shorter tail; in race <em>cyanocollis</em> , crown patch extends to nape.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Sometimes placed in genus Agyrtria. Owing to different crown colour, race viridiceps sometimes treated as subspecies of C. versicolor (colours of throat, breast, rump and tail tend to rule this out, along with bill-size difference) or else regarded as a separate species, and indeed viridiceps (restricted to W slope) differs from both franciae and cyanocollis on account of green (not blue) crown (3) and significantly shorter tail (effect size −2.57; score 2); moreover, NHMUK specimen labels suggest a yellow-pink vs bold red basal two-thirds of lower mandible (if confirmed, score 2), so further research and analysis clearly desirable. Described form A. veneta may be melanistic female of present species. Three subspecies recognized.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Inhabits wet forest edges, second growth and clearings; in W Peru, also found in more arid, shrubby areas. Ranges in altitude from 600 m to 2100 m; commonest above 1000 m, rarely in lowlands.

Seasonal changes in altitude indicated by absence from breeding areas such as Anchicayá (SW Colombia), and by a few lowland records (e.g. in Colombia, at R Zapato).

Forages for nectar at various heights, chiefly in middle to upper strata; may form feeding assemblies. Found at flowering herbs such as banana (Musa) or Canna, climbers like Psammisia, shrubs (Hamelia, Cavendishia), and trees, especially Eugenia. Trap-liner; often subordinate to territorial hummingbird species such as A. tzacatl and Saucerottia cyanifrons. Occasionally hawks for insects in short sallies, close to or within vegetation.

Song quite variable, typically a repeated complex phrase of high-pitched squeaky whistles, trills and scratchy notes. Calls include a high-pitched “tsip” and scratchy squeaky chatters during social interactions.

Almost year-round, e.g. nests recorded Jan–Nov in C Andes of Colombia (1 Escobar-Lasso, S. and Martínez, J.F. (2014). Descripción del comportamiento de anidación de la Esmeralda Andina Amazilia franciae (Apodiformes, Trochilidae) en la región andina de Colombia. Historia Natural. 4(1): 45–54. Close ); also birds in breeding condition have been recorded in Apr, May, Oct, Dec. Nest cup-shaped (c. 42–53 mm across by c. 45–47 mm deep), fixed with cobweb, constructed of scales and trichomes of treeferns, cottony fibres (Ochroma lagopus, Bombacaceae), lichens (Parmeliaceae) and cobwebs, sited c. 1·4–2·3 m above ground (1 Escobar-Lasso, S. and Martínez, J.F. (2014). Descripción del comportamiento de anidación de la Esmeralda Andina Amazilia franciae (Apodiformes, Trochilidae) en la región andina de Colombia. Historia Natural. 4(1): 45–54. Close ). Clutch two white eggs, size 11·8–14·1 mm × 6·9–8·5 mm, laid just over one day apart (1 Escobar-Lasso, S. and Martínez, J.F. (2014). Descripción del comportamiento de anidación de la Esmeralda Andina Amazilia franciae (Apodiformes, Trochilidae) en la región andina de Colombia. Historia Natural. 4(1): 45–54. Close ); incubation by female, commencing with the second egg; chick pinkish, with buff down; incubation 19–24 (mean c. 21) days; nestling period 19 (± 2·67) days (1 Escobar-Lasso, S. and Martínez, J.F. (2014). Descripción del comportamiento de anidación de la Esmeralda Andina Amazilia franciae (Apodiformes, Trochilidae) en la región andina de Colombia. Historia Natural. 4(1): 45–54. Close ). Success of seven nests monitored in C Andes of Colombia was 100% (1 Escobar-Lasso, S. and Martínez, J.F. (2014). Descripción del comportamiento de anidación de la Esmeralda Andina Amazilia franciae (Apodiformes, Trochilidae) en la región andina de Colombia. Historia Natural. 4(1): 45–54. Close ).

Not globally threatened. CITES II. Fairly common to uncommon, but status of local populations poorly known. Abundance in certain places may vary with flowering season of plants. Present in La Planada Reserve, Nariño (S Colombia).