Short-tailed Emerald
Encyclopedia
The Short-tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon poortmani) is a species of hummingbird
found in the Andes
of Colombia
and Venezuela
. It has also been called Poortman's Emerald Hummingbird.
The binomial name
was given by Jules Bourcier
(1797-1873), a French naturalist and expert on hummingbirds.
The global population and population trends have not been quantified. Although the species is described as 'uncommon' in parts of its range, it is not believed to be near the threshold for inclusion in the IUCN Red List
(viz., the population is not thought to be fewer than ten thousand mature individuals, with numbers declining).
The Short-tailed Emerald closely resembles several other members of the genus Chlorostilbon
. While its tail is relatively short, a few other species from the genus have equally short tails (e.g. the Green-tailed Emerald
). The male's bird's whole crown and belly are a solid glittering emerald
green, with iridescence
, the back a shining green, while the feathers of his short tail are a darker olive green. The female bird also has a shining green back, but her crown is nearer to brown in colour, while her underparts are grey, and she has a short white streak behind her eye. Her tail is pale green, with two central feathers of shining green and with an off-white tip and a blue-black subterminal band.
, the Santander Emerald (Chlorostilbon poortmani euchloris) and the Short-tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon poortmani poortmani).
, Colombia, with a Victoria water lily
against the background of a lake, a juxtaposition which has been called "one of the most striking examples of a plant chosen for its fame and beauty rather than its appropriateness".
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 in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It has also been called Poortman's Emerald Hummingbird.
The binomial name
Binomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
was given by Jules Bourcier
Jules Bourcier
Jules Bourcier was a French naturalist.Bourcier was an expert on hummingbirds, and named a number of new species, either alone or with other ornithologists such as Adolphe Delattre and Martial Etienne Mulsant....
(1797-1873), a French naturalist and expert on hummingbirds.
Range, habitat and population
The Short-tailed Emerald is found in clearings and at borders of forest, woodland, open areas with scattered trees, and in coffee plantations at altitudes of up to 2400 metres (7,874 ft) in the Andes of central Colombia to far western Venezuela. The bird has a wide range, estimated at 64,000 square kilometres.The global population and population trends have not been quantified. Although the species is described as 'uncommon' in parts of its range, it is not believed to be near the threshold for inclusion in the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
(viz., the population is not thought to be fewer than ten thousand mature individuals, with numbers declining).
Description
The bird has an overall length of approximately 9 centimetres (3.5 in). The bill is straight, about 18 millimetre (0.708661417322835 in) long and black.The Short-tailed Emerald closely resembles several other members of the genus Chlorostilbon
Chlorostilbon
Chlorostilbon is a genus of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae, known as emeralds . A single species, the Blue-chinned Sapphire is variously placed in the monotypic genus Chlorestes or in Chlorostilbon. The taxonomy of the C...
. While its tail is relatively short, a few other species from the genus have equally short tails (e.g. the Green-tailed Emerald
Green-tailed Emerald
The Green-Tailed Emerald is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found only in Venezuela.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, and heavily degraded former forest.-References:* BirdLife International 2004....
). The male's bird's whole crown and belly are a solid glittering emerald
Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...
green, with iridescence
Iridescence
Iridescence is generally known as the property of certain surfaces which appear to change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes...
, the back a shining green, while the feathers of his short tail are a darker olive green. The female bird also has a shining green back, but her crown is nearer to brown in colour, while her underparts are grey, and she has a short white streak behind her eye. Her tail is pale green, with two central feathers of shining green and with an off-white tip and a blue-black subterminal band.
Subspecies
There are two subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
, the Santander Emerald (Chlorostilbon poortmani euchloris) and the Short-tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon poortmani poortmani).
In art
The English ornithologist John Gould depicts Poortman's Emerald Hummingbird in a lithograph dated 1860, from the neighborhood of BogotáBogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia, with a Victoria water lily
Victoria (waterlily)
Victoria is a genus of water lilies, in the plant family Nymphaeaceae, with very large green leaves that float on the water's surface. Victoria amazonica has a leaf that is up to 3 m in diameter, on a stalk 7–8 m in length...
against the background of a lake, a juxtaposition which has been called "one of the most striking examples of a plant chosen for its fame and beauty rather than its appropriateness".
External links
- Short-tailed Emerald photograph at surfbirds.com
- Short-tailed Emerald photograph at birdforum.net