Narrow-tailed emerald facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Narrow-tailed emerald |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Coppery emerald (bottom) with narrow-tailed emerald (top) | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Genus: | Chlorostilbon |
| Species: |
C. stenurus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Chlorostilbon stenurus (Cabanis & Heine, 1860)
|
|
 |
|
| Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist. | |
Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
The narrow-tailed emerald (Chlorostilbon stenurus) is a tiny, sparkling hummingbird. It's part of a group of hummingbirds often called "emeralds." You can find this beautiful bird living in Colombia and Venezuela.
Contents
About the Narrow-Tailed Emerald
Different Types of Narrow-Tailed Emeralds
Scientists group living things into different categories. A "species" is a main type of animal. Sometimes, a species can have slightly different groups within it. These are called subspecies.
The narrow-tailed emerald has two main subspecies. Their scientific names are C. s. stenurus and C. s. ignotus. Some experts even think another bird, the green-tailed emerald, might be a third subspecies.
What Does the Narrow-Tailed Emerald Look Like?
These hummingbirds are quite small. Male narrow-tailed emeralds are about 8.5 to 9 cm (3.3 to 3.5 in) long. Females are a bit smaller, around 7.5 to 8 cm (3.0 to 3.1 in) long. They weigh only about 3.2 and 3.6 g (0.11 and 0.13 oz), which is less than a penny!
Male Birds
Males of both subspecies have a short, straight, black beak. The main subspecies, C. s. stenurus, has a shiny green forehead and crown (top of the head). Its upper body and tail feathers are a bright, grass green. Its belly and sides are an iridescent green, meaning they shimmer with color.
The male's tail is forked, like a swallow's tail, and dark green. The two outer tail feathers are very tiny and shaped like thin needles. Males of the C. s. ignotus subspecies are similar but a little smaller. They are more yellowish-green on top and have a duller, darker green tail.
Female Birds
Female narrow-tailed emeralds have a beak that curves slightly downwards. The females of the main subspecies have a dull dark green crown. Their upper body and tail feathers are also dark green.
Their chin is brownish, and their throat is a pale white. The rest of their belly is a slightly darker white. Their tail is also forked. The two innermost pairs of tail feathers are a shiny bluish-green. The next pair is green at the base, turning brown, then white at the tip. The two outermost pairs are gray at the base, then dark blue, with a wide white tip.
Where Do They Live?
The C. s. stenurus subspecies lives in the Andes mountains. You can find them in northwestern Venezuela and parts of Colombia. The C. s. ignotus subspecies lives in the coastal mountains of Venezuela.
These hummingbirds like to live in humid forests and scrublands. They also live in secondary forest, which is forest that has grown back after being cut down. They are found at high places, between 1,000 and 3,000 m (3,300 and 9,800 ft) above sea level.
Narrow-Tailed Emerald Behavior
How They Move Around
Narrow-tailed emeralds usually stay in one area. However, they sometimes move to different elevations depending on the season. This means they might fly higher or lower in the mountains at different times of the year.
What They Eat
These hummingbirds love to drink nectar from flowers. They find their food by "trap-lining." This means they fly a regular path, visiting a circuit of different flowering plants. They visit plants like heaths, coffee plants, and ginger plants.
They usually look for nectar close to the ground, between 0.6 and 4 m (2 and 10 ft) high. Besides nectar, they also eat tiny insects. They catch these insects by "hawking," which means they fly out from a perch to snatch insects in the air.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The narrow-tailed emerald's breeding season is from September to November. The female builds a cup-shaped nest using moss. She decorates the outside with lichen. She usually places her nest in a shrub or tree. These nests are typically between 1 and 2 m (3 and 7 ft) above the ground.
The female lays two eggs. She sits on the eggs to keep them warm for about 15 to 16 days. The baby hummingbirds leave the nest about 20 days after they hatch.
Sounds They Make
As of mid-2022, scientists have not yet recorded the sounds or calls of the narrow-tailed emerald.
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says the narrow-tailed emerald is a species of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing. Even though they live in a limited area, their population size is unknown. No immediate threats have been found. They are considered common in the places they live and are comfortable even in areas changed by humans.
 | Anna J. Cooper |
 | Mary McLeod Bethune |
 | Lillie Mae Bradford |
