Bird Guide

Hispaniolan Emerald vs Puerto Rican Emerald

Hispaniolan Emerald (Riccordia swainsonii)

Hispaniolan Emerald

Riccordia swainsonii

4 gForest

Male Hispaniolan emeralds are 9.5 to 10.5 cm (3.7 to 4.1 in) long and females 8.5 to 9.5 cm (3.3 to 3.7 in). The species weighs between 2.5 and 5 g (0.088 and 0.18 oz). Both sexes have a small white spot behind the eye. Males have a bill whose mandible is red and the maxilla black, and that is slightly decurved at the outer end. Its forehead, crown, and cheeks are dull dark brown; the rest of its upperparts and flanks are dark green with a bronze tinge and the uppertail coverts are dark green. Its throat is iridescent green with a large black patch below it. Voice: The Hispaniolan emerald makes "harp metallic chipping notes", sometimes in a long series.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová · CC BY 4.0
Puerto Rican Emerald (Riccordia maugaeus)

Puerto Rican Emerald

Riccordia maugaeus

3 gForest

Male Puerto Rican emeralds are 8.5 to 9.5 cm (3.3 to 3.7 in) long and females 7.5 to 8.5 cm (3.0 to 3.3 in). The species weighs between 3.4 and 3.8 g (0.12 and 0.13 oz). Both sexes have a small white spot behind the eye. Males have a short straight bill with black-tipped red mandible and a black maxilla. Its forehead and crown are iridescent green; the rest of its upperparts are dark shining metallic green. Its gorget is iridescent bluish green and the rest of its underparts are shining green. The tail is forked and shining steely blue. The female's bill is all black. Voice: What is believed to be the Puerto Rican emerald's song is "a repeated twittering phrase of high-pitched descending notes followed by a series of ‘lisping’ notes on constant pitch 'tseereetseetseetsee-tslew-tslew-tslew-tslew-tslew'". It also makes "high-pitched 'tsik'" and "si..si..sik-sik...tsik.." calls.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: DiegoH · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Hispaniolan Emerald and Puerto Rican Emerald.