Swallow-tailed Hummingbird

Identification

With a total length of 15–17 cm (6–.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}6+1⁄2 in), nearly half of which is made up by the tail, and weighing up to 9 g (0.32 oz), this is a relatively large hummingbird. Indeed, in much of its range it is the largest species of typical hummingbird. Its wings are also nearly 8 cm long – quite much for its size by hummingbird standards – though its bill is only of mediocre length, with c. 21 mm (0.83 in) not longer in absolute terms than that of many smaller relatives.<p>Its plumage is brilliant iridescent green, with a blue head, upper chest, tail and vent. The tiny white spot behind the eye, common among hummingbirds, is often not visible in this species, but the white ankle tufts, also common among the Trochilinae, are well-developed. The remiges are blackish-brown. It has a slightly decurved medium-long black bill. The sexes are very similar, but females are about one-fourth smaller and slightly duller than males on average. Immature birds appear like females, but their heads are particularly dull and brownish-tinged.<p>The subspecies vary mainly in the hue of the plumage, with the blue sections ranging from green-tinged blue over ultramarine to deep royal blue, and the green sections ranging from golden bronzy-green over deep bottle-green to blue-tinged green. The nominate subspecies and E. m. simoni occur over a wide range, while the others are more localized endemics. For E. m. hirundo the blue quite dull and the tail less deeply forked. E. m. simoni is the bluest subspecies; the blue parts are dark royal blue, the green parts blue-tinged. E. m. bolivianus is the greenest subspecies; the head is more green than blue and the green parts pure bright green. E. m. cyanoviridis is another very green subspecies with the blue parts green-tinged and the green parts golden bronzy green.<p>Its voice includes relatively loud psek notes and weaker twitters. A tik call is given when excited or alarmed.<p>The swallow-tailed hummingbird is virtually unmistakable, although occasionally confused with the male violet-capped woodnymph (Thalurania glaucopis). These have only a blue cap however, the remainder of their head is the same green as the belly.

Taxonomy

The swallow-tailed hummingbird was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other hummingbirds in the genus Trochilus, coined the binomial name Trochilus macrourus and specified the type locality as Jamaica. Gmelin cited earlier authors including Hans Sloane who in 1725 had described and illustrated a humming bird from Jamaica and Mathurin Jacques Brisson who in 1760, had described and illustrated a hummingbird from Cayenne, French Guiana. In 1929 Carl Eduard Hellmayr argued that Gmelin conflated two different species and that his diagnosis applied to Brisson's specimen from Cayenne; Sloane's Jamaican bird was probably the red-billed streamertail. Hellmayr therefore redesignated the type locality as Cayenne. The swallow-tailed hummingbird is now placed together with the sombre hummingbird in the genus Eupetomena that was introduced in 1853 by the English ornithologist John Gould. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek eu meaning "good" and petomenos meaning "always on the wing" or "flying" (from petomai "to fly"). The specific epithet macroura is from the Ancient Greek makros meaning "long" and -ouros meaning "-tailed".<p>Five subspecies are recognised, the most recent was described in 1988.

Scientific name

Eupetomena macroura

Authority

(Gmelin, JF, 1788)

Order

Apodiformes

Family

Trochilidae

Genus

Eupetomena

Range and habitat

The majority of the range of the swallow-tailed hummingbird is in the Caatinga and Cerrado of Brazil, and adjacent parts of northern and eastern Bolivia, and far northern Paraguay. In the coastal regions, it occurs from French Guiana in north to Santa Catarina, Brazil, in south.<p>It generally avoids the rainforest found throughout most of the Amazon Basin, and only extends locally into this region along the southern and eastern edge, in the relatively open habitats along the lowermost sections of the Amazon River, including Marajó Island, and upstream to around the Tapajós River, and in isolated enclaves of woodland or savanna-like habitats within the Amazon (including so-called "Amazonian Caatinga") in south-eastern Peru (upper Urubamba River and Pampas del Heath), southern Suriname (Sipaliwini Savanna), central Brazil, and northern Bolivia.<p>It occurs in virtually any semi-open habitat; even gardens and parks within major cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. It avoids the interior of humid forest, but does occur in openings or along the edge; the swallow-tailed hummingbird is most common among savanna-like vegetation. It is generally a species of lowlands, but occurs locally up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft). Not a true migrant, some populations move north or south a short distance in the dry winter months.<p>Throughout the bulk of its range, it is among the commonest species of hummingbird, although it generally is uncommon in the outlying regions, particularly where it becomes more humid. In southern Brazil, it is apparently increasing and seems to have extended its range in recent decades. It is considered to be a Species of Least Concern by the IUCN. It was frequently exported for the cage bird trade up to 1970, but like other hummingbirds, it is nowadays on CITES Appendix II and trade is restricted. Also, hummingbirds are generally hard to keep in captivity, and though this species is generally rather hardy, it has been noted that abandoned young may die despite given optimal treatment when trying to hand-raise them.

Migration

Resident species

Behavior

Migration pattern: Resident species.

Conservation

Population trend

unknown