Birds · Apodiformes · Trochilidae
Cuban Emerald
Chlorostilbon ricordii
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The Cuban emerald is the commonest hummingbird in Cuba, an intense metallic green with a forked tail and a red bill tipped with black. It shares the island with the bee hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world, and is markedly larger than it. It aggressively defends the flowering shrubs in its territory, driving off other hummingbirds and bees. Its local name, zunzún, is onomatopoeic, after the hum of its wings.
Weight
4 g – 6 g
Size
10 cm – 11 cm
Life expectancy
7 years
