Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Slender Sheartail

Doricha enicura

The slender sheartail, a member of the "bee hummingbirds" tribe Mellisugini, is a diminutive and exquisite avian species. Males typically measure between 11 to 12.5 cm in length and tip the scales at approximately 2.3 grams. Females, slightly more petite, range from 8 to 9 cm and weigh around 2.6 grams. Both sexes boast a long, decurved, black bill and a distinctive white spot behind the eye, adding to their delicate charm.

Identification Tips

To identify the male slender sheartail, look for its iridescent green head, upperparts, and flanks, complemented by a striking pinkish-purple gorget. Its chest and belly center are a pristine white, while its deeply forked tail is notably elongated, with the central feathers green and the others a dark hue. The female, on the other hand, displays green upperparts and cinnamon-buff underparts, with a less pronounced fork in her shorter tail. Her tail feathers are a mix of green, cinnamon, black banding, and white tips, with a blackish eye stripe adding to her allure.

Habitat

This species thrives in semi-open landscapes, including forest clearings, woodlands, secondary forests, and scrublands. It is well-adapted to life in the mountains and interior valleys, where it can be found flitting about in its preferred elevations ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 meters.

Distribution

The slender sheartail graces the skies from the southern reaches of Mexico's Chiapas through Guatemala and northeastern El Salvador, extending into Honduras.

Behaviour

The slender sheartail is generally a sedentary bird, though it may exhibit seasonal fluctuations in local abundance. Males are known to hold their tails nearly vertical when feeding on nectar, while females display a charming wag, opening and closing their tails in a rhythmic dance.

Song & calls

The vocal repertoire of the slender sheartail is somewhat of a mystery, with few recordings capturing its voice. However, observers have noted it emits "fairly hard, rapid chips" while perched or in the midst of feeding.

Breeding

Breeding activities have been observed in October within Chiapas, but much of the slender sheartail's breeding behavior remains shrouded in secrecy.

Diet and Feeding

With a diet consisting of nectar and small arthropods, the slender sheartail is an agile forager, navigating from the ground to the middle strata of vegetation with grace and precision.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the slender sheartail as Least Concern, with an estimated population of 20,000 to 50,000 mature individuals. Despite this seemingly secure status, the population is on a downward trend, primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural expansion. The species is considered rare to locally common within its range.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Slender Sheartails on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Carlos Ulate
Carlos Ulate
21 Feb 2023 - 3:39pm
Guatemala

More Hummingbirds

A photo of a Speckled Hummingbird (Adelomyia melanogenys)

Speckled Hummingbird

Adelomyia melanogenys
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
EandB17
Terrific App for Birders
Downloaded Birda around the time my interest in birding was sparked, and it has been a terrific app to help me (1) share my experience, (2) document my sightings, and (3) learn more about birds in general. That said, I also believe Birda is a fantastic app for birders of all experience levels. Great community!
Mike T
Sense of Community
A great app, which is continually being improved. What really comes through is the passion of those behind the app. The sense of community is brilliant, so much help and support provided to new and/or in experienced birders.
Chudbond
Love Birda
I love this app. It really encourages you to log your sightings and the community is friendly and helpful.
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Jane N
A great app
Enjoying it immensely and finding it useful too. Recording the different birds and counting them is showing me how the present climate is affecting them all. I've trebled the numbers by planting native hedging. A great app.
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.