Doricha enicura (Vieillot, 1818)

Common Name and Sexual Dimorphism Note

Doricha enicura, commonly known as the slender sheartail, shows distinct physical differences between males and females.

Size and Weight

Males measure 11 to 12.5 cm (4.3 to 4.9 in) in length and weigh approximately 2.3 g (0.081 oz), while females are 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 in) long and weigh about 2.6 g (0.092 oz).

Shared Morphological Traits

Both sexes share two key traits: a long, curved black bill, and a white spot located behind the eye.

Male Plumage (Head and Torso)

For males, the head, upperparts, and sides of the belly are green. The male's gorget is pinkish purple, and its chest and center of the belly are white.

Male Tail Structure

Males have a very long, deeply forked tail; the central pair of tail feathers is green, and the remaining feathers are blackish.

Female Plumage (Head and Torso)

Females have green upperparts and cinnamon-buff underparts, with a blackish stripe running through the eye.

Female Tail Structure

The female's tail is much shorter and less deeply forked than the male's. Like the male, the central pair of the female's tail feathers is green; the rest are cinnamon with a wide black band near the tip and white tips.

Geographic Range

This species is distributed across mountains and their interior valleys, ranging from Chiapas in southern Mexico through Guatemala and northeastern El Salvador into Honduras.

Habitat and Elevation Range

It lives in semi-open landscapes including forest openings, open woodland, secondary forest, and scrublands, and occurs at elevations between 1,000 and 3,000 m (3,300 and 9,800 ft).