Birds · Apodiformes · Trochilidae

Puerto Rican Emerald

Riccordia maugaeus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Puerto Rican emerald is a tiny hummingbird endemic to the island, iridescent green with a forked black tail in the male. It is common in the montane forests, above all in El Yunque and the Cordillera Central, and also visits gardens and coffee plantations. Its nest is a tiny cup of plant fibre and cobweb fixed to a branch.

Weight

3 g – 4 g

Size

8 cm – 10 cm

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Nectarivore

Feeds mainly on flower nectar.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

It is endemic to an island of less than 9,000 square kilometres: the entire world population lives in Puerto Rico, above all in the mountains of the interior.
It is one of the key pollinators of several plants endemic to the island, including bromeliads and heliconias that depend on it to reproduce.
It survived Hurricane María in 2017, which flattened much of the El Yunque forest, and its populations recovered within a few years as the vegetation came back into flower.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Humid montane forest, shaded coffee plantations and gardens of Puerto Rico
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 15 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riccordia_maugaeus