Blue-tailed Emerald

Chlorostilbon mellisugus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Blue-tailed Emerald, Chlorostilbon mellisugus, is a hummingbird breeding in northern and north-eastern South America. It is found east of the Andes, with its range extending from Colombia through the Guianas and Trinidad to northern Bolivia and central Brazil. Its place in the family Trochilidae is marked by a short, straight black bill and, in the male, a forked tail. The nominate male shows a golden-green forehead and crown, bronze-green upperparts, a steel-blue tail and glittering emerald underparts, while the female has a bronzy green head, a dark facial mask and pale grey underparts.

Order

Apodiformes

Family

Trochilidae — Hummingbirds

Breeding range

South America: n, ne