Blue-headed Hummingbird
Riccordia bicolor
The Blue-headed Hummingbird (Riccordia bicolor) is a legendary hummingbird found in 2 countries. The blue-headed hummingbird is a hummingbird of the genus Riccordia.
About the Blue-headed Hummingbird
The blue-headed hummingbird is a hummingbird of the genus Riccordia. It is exclusively found on the islands of Dominica and Martinique in the Lesser Antilles in forests along rivers. The males and females have distinct appearances; the female has a white front, and her back and wings are iridescent bronze-green colored. The male is entirely emerald of varying shades, with an especially blue head. The blue-headed hummingbird's behavior is typical of most hummingbirds, mostly feeding off of nectar. It nests from February to May in tree ferns, incubating a clutch of two white eggs for 16 to 18 days. It is a near-threatened species, with an estimated mature population of 25,000–150,000.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The blue-headed hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird at 9.4–9.9 cm in length and 3.9–4.7 g in weight. On average, the bill (measuring along the culmen) is 17 mm, each wing is 59 mm long, and the tail is 37.2 mm in length. Its iris is dark brown but may appear black due to lighting, and the skin around its eyes are dark gray. Its legs are slightly larger compared to other hummingbirds but are otherwise typical, small and weak. It is sexually dimorphic; the female is slightly smaller compared to the male, and each gender's plumage is different. Voice: The blue-headed hummingbird's calls are similar to those of other small hummingbirds, and include "shrill, metallic notes, rapidly descending in pitch, and a metallic 'click-click-click'."
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, June, July, November, December, with peak activity in March. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Blue-headed Hummingbird?
- The blue-headed hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird at 9.4–9.9 cm in length and 3.9–4.7 g in weight. Full identification notes are on this page.
- Where can you see a Blue-headed Hummingbird?
- The Blue-headed Hummingbird occurs in 2 countries, including Dominica and Martinique.
- What birds look similar to a Blue-headed Hummingbird?
- The Blue-headed Hummingbird is most easily confused with the Hispaniolan Emerald, the Puerto Rican Emerald and the Cuban Emerald.
- Is the Blue-headed Hummingbird endangered?
- The Blue-headed Hummingbird is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Blue-headed Hummingbird for real
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