Endemic bird of the day : Hispaniolan Emerald

Abstract

Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) day 133 poster, dedicated to the Hispaniolan Emerald. True to their name, both males and females boast glittering green feathers. How does the emerald stand out from Hispaniola’s other hummers? Fortunately there are only three other resident hummers to tell it apart from. The first key is habitat. The Hispaniolan Emerald prefers higher elevation montane tropical forests. The second clue is to look at their bill and tail shape. The Hispaniolan Emerald has a straight bill, unlike the decurved bill of the Hispaniolan Mango. The Hispaniolan Emerald is also perfectly sized in between the teeny tiny Vervain Hummingbird and the larger Hispaniolan Mango. This has given it one of its local names—Zumbador Mediana. It is also referred to as Zumbador Esmeralda or Zumbador Verde in the Dominican Republic. In Haiti, they’re known as Wanga-nègès mòn.