Bird Guide

Plain-bellied Emerald vs Shining-green Hummingbird

Plain-bellied Emerald (Chrysuronia leucogaster)

Plain-bellied Emerald

Chrysuronia leucogaster

Tiny4 gWoodland

The plain-bellied emerald is 9 to 10 cm (3.5 to 3.9 in) long. Males weigh 4 to 4.5 g (0.14 to 0.16 oz) and females about 4.3 g (0.15 oz). Adults have a short, straight to slightly decurved, blackish bill with a red base to the mandible. Adult males of the nominate subspecies C. l. leucogaster have a glittering green crown and sides of the neck. The rest of its upperparts, flanks, and sides of the throat are golden- to bronze-green. The center of its throat and underparts are white. Its inner tail feathers are bronze-green to bronze and the outer ones bluish black. Voice: What is thought to be the plain-bellied emerald's song is "a long series of repeated single 'pseeee' notes". It also makes calls described as "a thin 'tsink' and a high-pitched stuttering series".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Thomaz de Carvalho Callado · CC BY 4.0
Shining-green Hummingbird (Chrysuronia goudoti)

Shining-green Hummingbird

Chrysuronia goudoti

Tiny4 gShrubland

The shining-green hummingbird is 9 to 9.5 cm (3.5 to 3.7 in) long. Males weigh about 4.1 g (0.14 oz) and females about 3.7 g (0.13 oz). Both sexes of all subspecies have a straightish bill with a black maxilla and a mostly pink mandible. Adult males of the nominate subspecies C. g. goudoti have green upperparts. Their underparts are mostly shining bluish green with a whitish belly and green undertail coverts with white edges. Their tail is forked; its central feathers are bronze-black and the outer ones blue-black. Adult females' upperparts are like the male's. Voice: What is thought to be the shining-green hummingbird's song is "a short, thin ‘lisping’ rattle initiated with an upslurred note...rapidly repeated 10–12 times, 'pee-rrrr..pee-rrrr..peer-rrrr..'." Its calls include "chips and a high-pitched descending trill."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: GERMAN LEONEL SARMIENTO CRUZ · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Plain-bellied Emerald and Shining-green Hummingbird.