White-tailed Sabrewing

About the White-tailed Sabrewing

The white-tailed sabrewing (Campylopterus ensipennis) is a Near Threatened species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found on Tobago and in Venezuela. The white-tailed sabrewing is monotypic.

The white-tailed sabrewing is about 12 to 13 cm (4.7 to 5.1 in) long. Males weigh 9.5 to 10.5 g (0.34 to 0.37 oz) and females are assumed to be lighter. Both sexes have a black decurved bill and a white spot behind the eye. Males have glittering green upperparts, an iridescent blue to dark violet throat, and glittering green underparts. Their inner two pairs of tail feathers are dark bronzy green; the inner third of the length of the outer three pairs is black and the outer two thirds white. Females are similar but the blue of their throat is smaller and duller and their underparts are pale gray with green spots on the flanks.

The shafts of the outer flight feathers are thickened and flattened which gives the distinctive feature of the sabrewings their English and genus names. In this case, both parts of the scientific name refer to this feature, Campylopterus and ensipennis being derived from the... Wikipedia →