Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) is a common hummingbird found in 11 countries, weighing about 5 g. The rufous-tailed hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae.
About the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
The rufous-tailed hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from east-central Mexico through Central America and Colombia into Ecuador and Venezuela.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The rufous-tailed hummingbird is 9 to 11 cm (3.5 to 4.3 in) long and weighs approximately 5 g (0.18 oz). The adult male of the nominate subspecies has a green head and upperparts except for chestnut-brown lores and uppertail coverts. The tail is also mostly chestnut-brown, giving the species its English name; the feathers' outer webs and tips are bronze green. The throat, upper breast, and sides are green; the throat feathers sometimes have thin white edges giving a scalloped effect. The lower breast is gray, the belly white, and the undertail coverts chestnut-brown.
What the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird on live cams
Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird?
- The rufous-tailed hummingbird is 9 to 11 cm (3.5 to 4.3 in) long and weighs approximately 5 g (0.18 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird?
- The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 5 g.
- Where can you see a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird?
- The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird occurs in 11 countries, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Belize, Panama and Ecuador.
- What does a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird?
- The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is most easily confused with the Cinnamon Hummingbird, the Buff-bellied Hummingbird and the Honduran Emerald.
- Is the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird endangered?
- The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird for real
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