Red-billed Emerald

Chlorostilbon gibsoni

Hummingbirds · Apodiformes · Rare

The Red-billed Emerald (Chlorostilbon gibsoni) is a rare hummingbird found in 2 countries, weighing about 3 g. The red-billed emerald is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae.

Least ConcernRareEats nectarwoodlandcup nest3 g

About the Red-billed Emerald

The red-billed emerald is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The red-billed emerald is 7.6 to 9 cm (3.0 to 3.5 in) long and weighs about 2.8 g (0.099 oz). The males of all three subspecies have a straight bill with a mostly red mandible. The females' mandibles are red at the base. The bills are about 1.3 cm (0.51 in) long. Males of the nominate subspecies have dark bronze-green upperparts and a deeply forked blue-black tail. Their faces and underparts are glittering green to golden green. Nominate females are shining green above and plain gray below with dusky cheeks and a short white line behind the eye. Voice: The red-billed emerald's song is "a continuous series of wiry trilled notes, 'wirrr...wirrr...wirrr...'". It also makes "high-pitched penetrating 'tseeee' and a reedy 'tzreee'" calls.

Where it lives

When to see it

The Red-billed Emerald can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Red-billed Emerald?
The red-billed emerald is 7.6 to 9 cm (3.0 to 3.5 in) long and weighs about 2.8 g (0.099 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Red-billed Emerald?
The Red-billed Emerald is a tiny sized bird weighing about 3 g.
Where can you see a Red-billed Emerald?
The Red-billed Emerald occurs in 2 countries, including Colombia and Venezuela.
What birds look similar to a Red-billed Emerald?
The Red-billed Emerald is most easily confused with the Garden Emerald, the Short-tailed Emerald and the Blue-tailed Emerald.
Is the Red-billed Emerald endangered?
The Red-billed Emerald is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Red-billed Emerald for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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