Slender Sheartail
Doricha enicura
Small hummingbird of scrubby forests and overgrown clearings in the mountains of Chiapas and south to southern Honduras. Feeds quietly at all levels and is easily overlooked. Note the long arched bill; distinct from other small hummingbirds in its range. Spectacular male has very long blackish tail (forked, but usually held closed in a point) and green-and-purple throat (usually looks dark). Female is buffy below.
Identification
The male slender sheartail is 11 to 12.5 cm (4.3 to 4.9 in) long and weighs about 2.3 g (0.081 oz). Females are 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 in) long and weigh about 2.6 g (0.092 oz). Both sexes have a long, decurved, black bill and a white spot behind the eye. The male's head, upperparts, and sides of the belly are green. Its gorget is pinkish purple and the chest and center of the belly white. The very long tail is deeply forked. The central pair of feathers are green and the others blackish. The female's upperparts are green and the underparts cinnamon-buff. It has a blackish stripe through the eye. Its tail is much shorter and less forked than the male's; its central pair of feathers are green and the others cinnamon with a wide black band near the tip and white tips.
Taxonomy
The slender sheartail shares genus Doricha with the Mexican sheartail (D. eliza). It is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Doricha enicura
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1818)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Doricha
Range and habitat
The slender sheartail is found in mountains and their interior valleys from Chiapas in southern Mexico through Guatemala and northeastern El Salvador into Honduras. It inhabits semi-open landscapes such as forest openings, woodland, secondary forest, and scrublands. In elevation it ranges between 1,000 and 3,000 m (3,300 and 9,800 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The slender sheartail is generally sedentary though there are seasonal changes in abundance.<p>The slender sheartail forages for nectar and small arthropods from ground level to the middle strata of the vegetation. While feeding on nectar, males hold their tails nearly vertical while females wag and open and close theirs.<p>The slender sheartail has been documented breeding in October in Chiapas, but nothing else is known about its breeding phenology.<p>The slender sheartail's vocalizations are poorly known and have seldom been recorded. It does make "fairly hard, rapid chips" while perched or feeding.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rouget's Rail
Rougetius rougetii
This unusual rail can be quite tame, and is often found well away from water. The upperparts are olive-brown, the underparts are rufous, and the bright white undertail is often revealed when the tail is flicked up while walking. Found in montane habitats, including wetlands, scrub, and heath. Within its small range, unlikely to be confused with other rails. Calls include a two-part “ki-kee” and a rising “krrreeeee.”
Pacific Baza
Aviceda subcristata
Conspicuous medium-sized hawk with broad paddle-shaped wings that pinch in close to the body. When perched it is easily distinguished from other species by small black crest on the back of gray head and enormous yellow eyes, prominent brown stripes on white belly. Often found in suburban areas. Crashes into foliage to snatch insect prey. Has distinctive "mee-choo" call.
Indian Scimitar-Babbler
Pomatorhinus horsfieldii
Striking tuxedoed babbler with a slightly downcurved banana-yellow bill and bright white eyebrows. A foothill and montane species of forest, forest edge, and dense scrubby growth. Clambers and bounces about along branches and in the undergrowth, typically in pairs or small flocks. Song variations include brief series of hooting calls, accelerating and jumbled in the second half. Calls include various rattles and hoots; often duets.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.