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- Trochilus scitulus
Identification
Male 22–35 cm (8½-13¾ in, including bill 2·2 cm, tail 16–24 cm); Female 10·5 cm (4 in)
- Black upperparts
- Mostly lime green underparts
- Long decurved black bill
- Long black tail with streamers
Similar Species
Similar to the Red-billed Streamertail, which has a red bill.
Distribution
A common endemic to Jamaica, found only in the extreme east of the island, from Port Antonio and the Morant River eastward.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species according to most authorities[2], however, Clements now place it as a subspecies of Red-billed Streamertail Trochilus polytmus scitulus [1].
The Red-billed and Black-billed Streamertails were once considered races of the Streamertail (T. polytmus) as they intergrade in areas of contact.
Habitat
Wet areas of East Jamaica from sea level to elfin forest.
Behaviour
Diet
Their main diet consists of nectar.
Breeding
They build a cup-shaped nest of fine rootlets and fibres.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Mar 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Black-billed Streamertail. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-billed_Streamertail
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
