Brace's Emerald
Encyclopedia
Brace's Emerald is an extinct species of hummingbird which was endemic to the main island of the Bahamas, New Providence
.
) was grey with a faint cinnamon hue at the edges.
in the inland of New Providence. The skin which is unfortunately heavily injured at the throat is now at the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington, D.C.
. This small hummingbird was long ignored by the ornithological authorities. In 1880 it was listed without commentary as a synonym of the Cuban Emerald
(Chlorostilbon ricordii). Until the 1930s the unique status of the holotype
was not even recognized or it was seen as an aberrant specimen of the Cuban Emerald which was blown to New Providence. American ornithologist James Bond
was the first who was discussing about the differences between C. ricordii and C. bracei. In 1945 he split C. ricordii and regarded C. ricordii bracei as a new subspecies. In contrast to the Cuban race the specimen from New Providence was smaller, had a longer bill and a different plumage. In 1982 palaeornithologists William Hilgartner and Storrs Olson discovered fossil remains of three hummingbird species from the Pleistocene
in the deposits in a cave of New Providence. These were the Bahama Woodstar
Calliphlox evelynae, Chlorostilbon ricordii and a species which was later identified as Chlorostilbon bracei. This was the evidence that Brace had discovered a new hummingbird species which lived on New Providence since the Pleistocene. It formed a relict
population and probably due to habitat loss and human disturbance (e.g. agriculture) it became extinct at the end of the 19th century.
New Providence
New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It also houses the national capital city, Nassau.The island was originally under Spanish control following Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, but the Spanish government showed...
.
Description
Its size was 9.5 cm, the wing length 11.4 cm and length of the tail 2.7 cm. The black bill was slightly curved and conical pointed. The feet were black. The back exhibited a bronze green hue with a golden gleam. The head was similar coloured like the back with the absence of the golden gloss. Directly behind the eyes was a white spot. The throat gleamed in magnificent blue green colour hues. The abdomen had green feathers with ash-grey tips. The wings exhibited a purplish hue. The rectrices were greenish. The crissum (these are the undertail coverts which surrounded the cloacal openingCloaca
In zoological anatomy, a cloaca is the posterior opening that serves as the only such opening for the intestinal, reproductive, and urinary tracts of certain animal species...
) was grey with a faint cinnamon hue at the edges.
Status and extinction
Brace's Emerald was only known for more than hundred years by one single male specimen which was shot by bird collector Lewis J. K. Brace on July 13, 1877 around three miles (4.8 kilometres) away from NassauNassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
in the inland of New Providence. The skin which is unfortunately heavily injured at the throat is now at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. This small hummingbird was long ignored by the ornithological authorities. In 1880 it was listed without commentary as a synonym of the Cuban Emerald
Cuban Emerald
The Cuban Emerald is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. It is found in a wide range of semi-open habitats in Cuba and the Bahamas....
(Chlorostilbon ricordii). Until the 1930s the unique status of the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
was not even recognized or it was seen as an aberrant specimen of the Cuban Emerald which was blown to New Providence. American ornithologist James Bond
James Bond (ornithologist)
James Bond was a leading American ornithologist whose name was appropriated by writer Ian Fleming for his fictional spy, James Bond.-Biography:...
was the first who was discussing about the differences between C. ricordii and C. bracei. In 1945 he split C. ricordii and regarded C. ricordii bracei as a new subspecies. In contrast to the Cuban race the specimen from New Providence was smaller, had a longer bill and a different plumage. In 1982 palaeornithologists William Hilgartner and Storrs Olson discovered fossil remains of three hummingbird species from the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
in the deposits in a cave of New Providence. These were the Bahama Woodstar
Bahama Woodstar
The Bahama Woodstar is a species of hummingbird.The Bahama Woodstar is a medium-sized hummingbird, growing to be about 3 to 5 inches in length. They are green above with mixed olive-buff underparts. Bills on both the male and female are slightly decurved. Males show a reddish-pink throat is lined...
Calliphlox evelynae, Chlorostilbon ricordii and a species which was later identified as Chlorostilbon bracei. This was the evidence that Brace had discovered a new hummingbird species which lived on New Providence since the Pleistocene. It formed a relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
population and probably due to habitat loss and human disturbance (e.g. agriculture) it became extinct at the end of the 19th century.
External links
- Chlorostilbon bracei Lawrence, an extinct species of Hummingbird from New Providence Island, Bahamas (PDF, Fulltext, Engl.) Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as extinct