Puerto Rican Emerald
Encyclopedia
The Puerto Rican Emerald (Chlorostilbon maugeaus), or Zumbadorcito de Puerto Rico in Spanish, is an endemic
hummingbird
found only in the archipelago
of Puerto Rico
.
The species displays sexual dimorphism
with males and females differing in coloration. The male has iridescent green feathers on its body and a black tail while the female has a white breast and white out tail feathers. They measure 9-10 cm
and weigh about 3 grams
. The species is found mainly in mountainous regions of Puerto Rico but also occurs along the southwest coast of the main island. Puerto Rican Emeralds are highly territorial, often defending territories with intense aerial pursuits.
Puerto Rican Emeralds use their long pointed bills and long tubular tongues to probe for insects, spiders and nectar, being especially attracted to red flowers. They can breed year-round but breeding is concentrated before the wet season starts from February to May. The female lays two tiny white eggs (measuring 8-13 mm) in a nest cup made of grasses and twigs. The male plays no part in the nesting process.
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
found only in the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
The species displays sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
with males and females differing in coloration. The male has iridescent green feathers on its body and a black tail while the female has a white breast and white out tail feathers. They measure 9-10 cm
Centimetre
A centimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one hundredth of a metre, which is the SI base unit of length. Centi is the SI prefix for a factor of . Hence a centimetre can be written as or — meaning or respectively...
and weigh about 3 grams
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
. The species is found mainly in mountainous regions of Puerto Rico but also occurs along the southwest coast of the main island. Puerto Rican Emeralds are highly territorial, often defending territories with intense aerial pursuits.
Puerto Rican Emeralds use their long pointed bills and long tubular tongues to probe for insects, spiders and nectar, being especially attracted to red flowers. They can breed year-round but breeding is concentrated before the wet season starts from February to May. The female lays two tiny white eggs (measuring 8-13 mm) in a nest cup made of grasses and twigs. The male plays no part in the nesting process.
See also
- Fauna of Puerto RicoFauna of Puerto RicoThe fauna of Puerto Rico is similar to other island archipelago faunas, with high endemism, and low, skewed taxonomic diversity. Bats are the only extant native terrestrial mammals in Puerto Rico. All other terrestrial mammals in the area were introduced by humans, and include species such as cats,...
- List of endemic fauna of Puerto Rico
- List of Puerto Rican birds
- List of Vieques birds
- El Toro WildernessEl Toro WildernessEl Toro Wilderness is a National Wilderness Preservation System located partly within El Yunque National Forest on the island of Puerto Rico...