Riccordia swainsonii (R.Lesson, 1829)

Size

Description: Male Hispaniolan emeralds (Riccordia swainsonii) measure 9.5 to 10.5 cm (3.7 to 4.1 in) in length, while females measure 8.5 to 9.5 cm (3.3 to 3.7 in). The entire species weighs between 2.5 and 5 g (0.088 and 0.18 oz).

Shared Facial Feature

Both sexes have a small white spot behind the eye.

Male Bill Structure

Males have a slightly decurved bill at the tip, with a red mandible and black maxilla.

Male Upperparts Coloration

A male's forehead, crown, and cheeks are dull dark brown; the rest of its upperparts and flanks are dark green with a bronze tinge, and its uppertail coverts are dark green.

Male Underparts Coloration

A male's throat is iridescent green, with a large black patch below the throat. The rest of a male's underparts are darker green than its upperparts, and it has dark green undertail coverts.

Male Tail Morphology

A male's tail is deeply forked and dark brown.

Female Bill Structure

Females have a more deeply decurved bill than males.

Female Upperparts Coloration

A female's head and upperparts match the male's coloration.

Female Underparts Coloration

A female's underparts are gray, with darker gray on the belly and undertail coverts.

Female Tail Morphology

The outermost pair of a female's tail feathers have a gray base, a wide dark brown band near the tip, and a white tip. The next pair of tail feathers moving inward is mostly dark grass green, turning black at the tip. The inner three pairs of tail feathers are green.

Geographic Range

Distribution and habitat: The Hispaniolan emerald is found on Hispaniola, in both of the island's countries: the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Habitat Types

It inhabits the interior and edges of dense montane rainforest, scrublands, and coffee plantations.

Elevation Range

Most individuals are found at elevations between 300 and 2,500 m (980 and 8,200 ft), but the species also occurs as low as sea level, and is occasionally found at elevations higher than 3,000 m (9,800 ft).