Plain-bellied Emerald Chrysuronia leucogaster Scientific name definitions

This rather plain emerald might be confused with White-chested Emerald (Chrysuronia chionopectus), but it lacks rufous-copper on the rump. Plain-bellied Emeralds inhabit humid forest edges, mangroves, second growth, plantations, gardens, and somewhat cleared areas. Individuals are usually territorial and tend to feed alone close to the ground, collecting nectar from herbs, trees, and shrubs.

9–10 cm; male 4–4·5 g (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ), female 4·3 g. Male has bill  straight to slightly decurved, blackish except for fleshy red base of lower mandible; crown and sides of neck glittering golden green, rarely with turquoise reflections; rest of upperparts  , flanks and sides of throat golden to bronze-green; centre of throat, underparts  and undertail-coverts  white; inner rectrices bronze-green to bronze, outer rectrices bluish-black; tail slightly forked. Female  very similar to male, but has more greenish spots on sides of throat and greyish-green tail tips. Immature  has brownish feather margins on back. Race bahiae  has longer bill (23 mm versus 20 mm in nominate) (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ) and wings (55 mm versus 53 mm) (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ); generally less bronze in coloration.

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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.

Forages  for nectar  at herbs and low down at trees and shrubs; preferred plant families are Leguminosae, Vochysiaceae, Musaceae, Acantaceae, Heliconiaceae  , Bignoniaceae, Malvaceae, Bromeliaceae , Anacardiaceae, Verbenaceae  and Passifloraceae. Catches small insects in flight by hawking.

Presumed song is a long series of repeated single “pseeee” notes. Calls include a thin “tsink” and a high-pitched stuttering series.

Recorded Jul–Aug in the Guianas and Oct–Feb in NE Brazil (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ). Nest  cup-shaped  , made of plant wool, and sometimes Bromeliaceae, and leaves and other parts of Bombaceae; outer walls decorated with lichen  ; placed on horizontal branch or in fork of smaller tree or bush, usually less than 5 m above ground, in mangroves sometimes close to water surface. Clutch size two eggs  , size 13·4–14 mm × 9 mm, mass 0·42–0·44 g (1 Grantsau, R. (1988). Os Beija-flores do Brasil. Expressão e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Close ); incubation 14 days, by female; fledging at 20–25 days.

Not globally threatened. CITES II. A rather common resident of the coastal Guianas and Brazil , especially in mangrove forests. Status in the Brazilian parts of the range needs further clarification since the range boundaries remain unclear, in particular the limits of distribution of the two races. Records of the species away from the Atlantic coast are rare, for instance at Cerro El Trueno, Bolívar (S Venezuela).