Berylline Hummingbird
Encyclopedia
The Berylline Hummingbird, Amazilia beryllina, sometimes placed in the genus Saucerottia, is a medium-sized hummingbird
. It is 8-10 cm long, and weighs 4-5 g.
The breeding habitat is in forests and thickets of western Mexico
to central Honduras
in Central America
. It regularly strays to southeasternmost Arizona
in the United States
where it occasionally breeds–(the Madrean sky islands
). The female builds a nest in a protected location in a shrub or tree. Females lay two white eggs. This hummingbird is essentially non-migratory.
These birds feed on nectar from flower
s and flowering trees using a long extendable tongue or catch insect
s on the wing.
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...
. It is 8-10 cm long, and weighs 4-5 g.
Overview
Adults are colored predominantly metallic olive green with a rusty gray lower belly. The tail and primary wings are rufous in color and slightly forked. The underwing is also rufous. The bill of the male is straight and very slender. It is very dark red in coloration, almost black. The female is less colorful than the male.The breeding habitat is in forests and thickets of western Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to central Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. It regularly strays to southeasternmost Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where it occasionally breeds–(the Madrean sky islands
Madrean sky islands
The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine-oak woodlands, found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. The sky islands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Sonoran and...
). The female builds a nest in a protected location in a shrub or tree. Females lay two white eggs. This hummingbird is essentially non-migratory.
These birds feed on nectar from flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s and flowering trees using a long extendable tongue or catch insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s on the wing.
External links
- Berylline Hummingbird photo; Article state.tx.us
- Berylline Hummingbird photo; Article Oiseaux
