Vervain Hummingbird
Mellisuga minima
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderApodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)
- FamilyTrochilidae (Hummingbirds)
- GenusMellisuga (Bee and Vervain Hummingbirds)
- SpeciesMellisuga minima (Vervain Hummingbird)
About the Vervain Hummingbird
The vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found on Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti) and Jamaica.
The vervain hummingbird was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Trochilus minimus. Linnaeus based his description on a bird that had been described and illustrated in 1747 by the English naturalist George Edwards. The type locality is Jamaica. The vervain hummingbird is now placed together with the tiny Cuban bee hummingbird in the genus Mellisuga that was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760.
Two subspecies of vervain hummingbird are recognised, the nominate M. m. minima (Linnaeus, 1758) and M. m. vielloti (Shaw, 1812). The vervain hummingbird is perhaps the second-smallest bird in the world after the smallest, the bee hummingbird, though some other tiny ones are close to it in size. It is about 6 cm (2.4 in) long, including the 1 cm (0.39 in) bill, and weighs about 2 to 2.4 g (0... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Vervain Hummingbird in Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | |
| 2 | Los Haitises National Park | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | |
| 3 | Jaragua National Park | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Vervain Hummingbird in Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Vervain Hummingbird sighting in Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, based on 471 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Vervain Hummingbird in Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Vervain Hummingbird in Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park in our monthly data.