Blue-tailed Hummingbird
Saucerottia cyanura
The Blue-tailed Hummingbird (Saucerottia cyanura) is a rare hummingbird found in 5 countries. The blue-tailed hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae.
About the Blue-tailed Hummingbird
The blue-tailed hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The blue-tailed hummingbird is 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long. One male specimen weighed 3.9 g (0.14 oz) and females weigh about 4.5 g (0.16 oz). Both sexes of all subspecies have a black bill with a reddish base to the mandible. Males of the nominate subspecies have a deep metallic green crown and back, a dull purplish bronze rump, and dark metallic bluish uppertail coverts. Their primaries and secondaries are chestnut and show as a patch on the closed wing. Their tail is dark metallic violet blue. Their underparts are mostly bright metallic green with dull steel blue undertail coverts. Voice: The blue-tailed hummingbird's song is "a short twitter". Its calls include "a hard, raspy bzzzrt ... hard chips, and high, sharp siik!, the last of which it makes in flight.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in El Salvador.
When to see it
The Blue-tailed Hummingbird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in March. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Blue-tailed Hummingbird?
- The blue-tailed hummingbird is 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- Where can you see a Blue-tailed Hummingbird?
- The Blue-tailed Hummingbird occurs in 5 countries, including Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico and Honduras.
- What birds look similar to a Blue-tailed Hummingbird?
- The Blue-tailed Hummingbird is most easily confused with the Green-bellied Hummingbird, the Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird and the Copper-tailed Hummingbird.
- Is the Blue-tailed Hummingbird endangered?
- The Blue-tailed Hummingbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Blue-tailed Hummingbird for real
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