Bird Guide

Blue-tailed Emerald vs Glittering-bellied Emerald

Blue-tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon mellisugus)

Blue-tailed Emerald

Chlorostilbon mellisugus

Tiny3 gForest

Male blue-tailed emeralds are 7.5 to 9.5 cm (3.0 to 3.7 in) long and females 6.5 to 7.5 cm (2.6 to 3.0 in). Males of C. m. caribaeus average about 2.7 g (0.095 oz) and females about 2.5 g (0.088 oz). Males of C. m. phoeopygus average about 2.7 g (0.095 oz) and females about 2.4 g (0.085 oz). Both sexes of all subspecies have a short, straight, black bill. All of the males have a forked tail whose depth varies somewhat among the subspecies. Females are essentially indistinguisable from each other. Voice: The blue-tailed emerald's song has been described as "repeated 'tsip' or chwep notes, with occasional rolls or twitters". Its calls include "a relatively loud and harsh chirrrt and "soft 'tsip', 'pit' and 'chwep'" notes.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: supersnail · CC BY 2.0
Glittering-bellied Emerald (Chlorostilbon lucidus)

Glittering-bellied Emerald

Chlorostilbon lucidus

Tiny4 gShrubland

The male glittering-bellied emerald is 9.5 to 10.5 cm (3.7 to 4.1 in) long and weighs 3 to 3.8 g (0.11 to 0.13 oz). Females are 7.5 to 8.5 cm (3.0 to 3.3 in) long and weigh 3 to 4.5 g (0.11 to 0.16 oz). Both sexes have a short straight bill. The male's is red with a black tip; the female's is black on its outer half and red on the inner. Males of the nominate subspecies have a dull bronzy green forehead and crown, slightly golden green upperparts, grass green uppertail coverts, and a slightly forked dark steely blue tail.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Blue-tailed Emerald and Glittering-bellied Emerald.