Honduran Emerald

Overview

The Honduran emerald (Amazilia luciae) is a vulnerable species of hummingbird endemic to Honduras. It belongs to the 'emeralds' tribe, Trochilini, and is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Size: 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long with a medium-length, slightly decurved bill featuring a black maxilla and a red mandible with a black tip.
• Plumage: Adult males have dark green crown and upperparts that become bronzy on the lower back; the gorget and upper breast are medium blue, appearing greenish or grayish in different lights, with grayish white underparts.
• Vocalisations: Includes a hard, slightly metallic ticking call described as 'chik, chik-chik, chik chik...', a buzzy chattering 'zzchi ---' in flight, and a high sharp 'siik' given in pursuit.

Habitat

Found in three widely separated areas of northern Honduras, specifically in the departments of Santa Bárbara, Cortés, Yoro, and Olancho. It inhabits tropical dry forests, thorn forests, and xeric woodlands, typically in intermontane valleys at elevations between 200 and 500 m.

Diet

Forages for nectar at all levels of the forest across a wide variety of plant species, including cacti, thorny shrubs, vines, and herbs. It also feeds on small arthropods and appears to sometimes defend nectar sources.

Did you know?

The species was formally described in 1868 with the binomial name Thaumatias luciae, chosen to honour Lucy Brewer, the daughter of the ornithologist Thomas Mayo Brewer.