Family Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Least Concern
Cuban Emerald (Chlorostilbon ricordii)
Taxonomy
French: Émeraude de Ricord German: Kubasmaragdkolibri Spanish: Esmeralda zunzún
Taxonomy:
Ornismya Ricordii
Gervais
, 1835,Santiago, Cuba
.Distribution:
Cuba (including Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo and numerous other cays) and I of Pines; and Bahamas (Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, Andros, Green Cay; casual in rest of Bahamas).
Descriptive notes
Male 10·5–11·5 cm, female 9·5–10·5 cm; 2·5–5 g. Male has slightly decurved, short bill, upper mandible dull black, lower... read more
Voice
Male song is high-pitched, a rapid rolling series of “slee” notes and sputtering metallic sounds, e... read more
Habitat
Occupies a variety of wooded habitats from sea-level up to at least 1300 m, exceptionally c. 1975 m... read more
Food and feeding
Nectar of flowering shrubs and trees, including Barleria cristata and Tabebuia rosae. Insects are caught in the air by... read more
Breeding
All year, but perhaps mainly Apr–Jul in Cuba. Gregarious nesting recorded on Cuba, with six nests located, averaging c. 30 cm apart,... read more
Movements
Sedentary, some local altitudinal dispersal. Vagrant to S & C Florida, USA, where 14 records... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Readily inhabits man-made habitat. Generally common throughout much of its extensive range. On Andros (Bahamas), density of... read more
Considered to be closely related to C swainsonii and C. maugaeus, and all three formerly separated in genus Riccordia [sic]. In the past, †C. bracei was included as an extinct race, but this form now thought most likely to have been a separate species (see Family Text). Monotypic.