<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='356870'>Blue-tailed Hummingbird

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En bref

  • Scientific Name: Saucerottia cyanura
  • Spanish Name: Colibrí coliazul
  • Famille : Trochilidae
  • Known Nicknames: Blue-tailed Emerald, Colibrí Cola Azul
  • Average Length: 9–10 cm / 3.5–3.9 in
  • Average Weight: 4.0–4.5 g / 0.14–0.16 oz
  • Wingspan: 11–13 cm / 4.3–5.1 in
  • Key Feature: Striking metallic blue to purplish-blue tail and contrasting rufous wing patches
  • Primary Diet: Nectarivore (Nectar and small insects)
  • Range: Southern Mexico (Chiapas) through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua to northwestern Costa Rica
  • Habitat: Humid forest canopy, forest edges, second-growth forests, coffee plantations, and gardens
  • Structure sociale : Solitaire et très territorial
  • Nesting/Breeding: Cup nest constructed of plant down and spiderwebs on a slender branch
  • Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
  • Évolution démographique : En baisse

The Blue-tailed Hummingbird (*Saucerottia cyanura*) is a mesmerizing avian gem native to the canopy edges, clearings, and coffee plantations of Central America. This medium-sized hummingbird is instantly recognizable by its glittering, metallic-green body, which contrasts dramatically with its most defining feature: a shimmering, deep steel-blue to purplish tail. Adding to its vibrant palette, the bird possesses distinct rufous-bronze patches on its wings that flash brilliantly in flight, alongside a slender, straight bill featuring a reddish-pink lower mandible. Renowned for its remarkable agility, this high-energy pollinator is not only a master of hovering flight but is also fiercely territorial, aggressively defending its favorite nectar-rich flowers with dazzling aerial displays.

Faits amusants

True to its feisty nature, this tiny aerial acrobat aggressively defends its favorite nectar patches from rivals and even much larger birds using high-speed dive-bombs. To power its high-octane lifestyle, its heart beats over 1,000 times per minute, but to survive chilly nights without starving, it can plunge into "torpor"—a state of temporary hibernation where its body temperature drops drastically to conserve energy. Furthermore, the male's dazzling, metallic-blue tail isn't just for show; during courtship, he flares these iridescent feathers while performing dramatic, U-shaped aerial loops to impress potential mates.

Habitats et répartition

The geographical distribution of this species spans Central America, stretching from southern Mexico (primarily in the state of Chiapas) southward through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, reaching its southern limit in northwestern Costa Rica. It is most commonly found along the Pacific slope and within interior valleys, though it also occupies some Caribbean-facing slopes.

Within this range, it thrives in a variety of semi-open environments, generally avoiding dense, unbroken forest interiors. Its preferred habitats include open woodlands, forest edges, secondary growth, scrublands, and pine-oak forests. Additionally, it adapts well to human-modified landscapes, frequently inhabiting shade-coffee plantations, pastures with scattered trees, and suburban gardens, primarily at elevations ranging from sea level up to 1,200 meters.

Comportements & Reproduction

Highly solitary and intensely territorial, this species aggressively defends prime nectar sources from both rivals and other intruders through swift aerial chases and sharp vocal warnings. Outside of the brief interactions required for mating, individuals lead independent lives with no cohesive social structure.

During the breeding season, males employ a polygynous mating strategy, performing elaborate aerial displays to attract multiple females before departing to seek other mates, playing no role in nesting or offspring care. The female assumes all parental duties, independently constructing a compact, cup-shaped nest bound together with spider silk, which allows the structure to stretch as the chicks grow. She typically lays a clutch of two tiny eggs, incubating them and feeding the hatchlings via regurgitation until they fledge.

Alimentation

The Blue-tailed Hummingbird (Saucerottia cyanura) feeds primarily on sugar-rich nectar extracted from a variety of brightly colored, tubular flowers, supplementing this high-energy liquid diet with small insects and spiders to obtain essential proteins and nutrients. To fuel its exceptionally high metabolism, this active bird must consume more than its own body weight in nectar daily, utilizing a specialized, deeply-forked tongue that laps up liquid at rapid speeds. An interesting aspect of its feeding behavior is its high territoriality; the Blue-tailed Hummingbird aggressively defends choice flowering patches and feeders from rival hummingbirds and large insects alike. Additionally, when targeting insects, it exhibits impressive aerial agility, either catching tiny bugs mid-air through a technique called hawking or gleaning them directly from leaves and spiderwebs.

Couleurs

The Blue-tailed Hummingbird is characterized by a vibrant, iridescent metallic green head and body that blends seamlessly into tropical foliage, contrasted sharply by a signature deep steel-blue to purplish tail. Its most distinctive marking is a prominent rufous-chestnut patch on the secondary wing feathers, highly visible during flight. This brilliant iridescence provides effective camouflage in sun-dappled canopies, while the bold wing and tail colors serve in communication and aerial displays.

Distribution Map

Places linked to this species. A sighting is never guaranteed.