Species Detail: Chlorostilbon mellisugus
Taxonomy / Classification
Scientific Name: Chlorostilbon mellisugus
 
Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758)
 
Synonyms:
 
Common Names:
Common Names Location Language
Blenchi gewoon; Blenchi berde (male),Blenchi hudiu (female) Dutch Caribbean Papiamento
Common Emerald; Blue-tailed Emerald Global English
Groene Kolibrie Dutch Caribbean Dutch
 
 
Formal Taxonomy:
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Animalia Chordata Aves
(Birds)		 Apodiformes
 Trochilidae Chlorostilbon
 
Taxonomic Comments:
 
General Species Description: Length 8 cm, including bill of 2 cm. Smallest of the two hummingbirds breeding on the Islands. Male glittering green all over with steel blue slightly forkt tail. May make totally black impression in the field. Female duller and lighter green above, geyish- white below. Supperciliary line light grey, in some birds very conspicuous and broad, particularly beyond eye. Tail dark bluish, less forked than in the male; outer two or three tail feathers with greyish-white tip. Bill in both seses straight, needle-thin, pointed; black. Feet very short, hardly visible in sitting bird; black. Globular tuft of downy white feathers at base of leg sometimes conspicuous in perched bird. Only female built nest, incubates, cares for young defends nestsite. Breeding throughout the year, dependent on flowering plants. Nest delicate, cup-shapedmade from silken cotton of plant-fibres and seed-pappus, insect webs, e.o. Clutch size usely 2 white oval eggs, without gloss. Visits flowering shrubs and trees in gardens roadsides and anywhere else, including mangroves and the most arid and thorny parts of the open field

Conservation Status
Status type Location Status Review date
CITES Global II

Habitats Terrestrially widely distributed: No

Habitat subtype Description Comments
TERRESTRIAL - hills
TERRESTRIAL - urban
TERRESTRIAL - woodlands

Distribution Status
Distributions Occurrence Status Description
South America
Venezuelan islands

Location Occurrence Status Description
Aruba Breeding bird
Bonaire Breeding bird
Curaçao Breeding bird

Population
Location Quality Quantity Description Date Comments
Aruba Breeding bird
Bonaire Breeding bird
Curaçao Breeding bird

Threats No Threats listed.

Uses No Uses listed.

Resources
Images
http://www.dcbiodata.net/explorer_resources/Pictures/Birds/Birds C/Chlorostilbon mellisugus nest.jpg http://www.dcbiodata.net/explorer_resources/Pictures/Birds/Birds C/Chlorostilbon mellisugus female.jpg
Google Image Search

Distribution Maps No Distribution Maps listed.

Documents No Documents listed.

Web Links No Web Links listed.

References
Citation Author Reference Type
Birds of the Netherlands Antilles / Karel Hendrik Voous ; coloured plates by Henk J. Slijper. - Voous, Karel Hendrik. - 327 p. : ill., pl. ; 20 cm. - [2nd, rev. ed., English version]. - With bibliogr., index. - 1st ed.: 1955, Dutch version (De vogels van de Nederlandse Antillen). - 90-6011-157-5. - Zutphen : Walburg Pers, 1983 Voous, Karel Hendrik Published document

Additional Resources

Additional off-site resources may be available for this taxon at the following sites. Click on one of the links below to perform appropriate search: