Copper-tailed Hummingbird
Saucerottia cupreicauda
The Copper-tailed Hummingbird (Saucerottia cupreicauda) is a legendary hummingbird found in 4 countries. The copper-tailed hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae.
About the Copper-tailed Hummingbird
The copper-tailed hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is native to the tepuis of Venezuela and nearby areas of Brazil and Guyana; it is a vagrant in French Guiana.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The copper-tailed hummingbird is 8 to 10.5 cm (3.1 to 4.1 in) long and weighs 3.1 to 5 g (0.11 to 0.18 oz). Both sexes of all subspecies have a straight, medium length, blackish bill with a pink to reddish base to the mandible. Males of the nominate subspecies S. c. cupreicauda have crown, nape, and upper back of golden-green to bronze-green that goes through coppery green to the dark cinnamon rump and uppertail coverts. The inner four pairs of tail feathers are dark cinnamon with dark iridescent bronze-purple tips and the outermost pair cinnamon with reddish bronze to rufous tips. Voice: The copper-tailed hummingbird's song has been variously described as " a short dainty phrase which is repeated several times...tee-djee-tee-djee or tee-tee-djee-ti". Calls include a "short buzzy note...tzit..tzit..tzit..." and a "stuttered series of a few short high-pitched notes tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi" on the same pitch.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Copper-tailed Hummingbird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Copper-tailed Hummingbird?
- The copper-tailed hummingbird is 8 to 10.5 cm (3.1 to 4.1 in) long and weighs 3.1 to 5 g (0.11 to 0.18 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- Where can you see a Copper-tailed Hummingbird?
- The Copper-tailed Hummingbird occurs in 4 countries, including Venezuela, Brazil, Guyana and Suriname.
- What birds look similar to a Copper-tailed Hummingbird?
- The Copper-tailed Hummingbird is most easily confused with the Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird, the Green-bellied Hummingbird and the Blue-tailed Hummingbird.
- Is the Copper-tailed Hummingbird endangered?
- The Copper-tailed Hummingbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Copper-tailed Hummingbird for real
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