Andean Emerald

Common name: Andean Emerald
Scientific name: Uranomitra franciae
Clades: Trochilini - Emeralds

The Andean emerald is 9 to 11 cm (3.5 to 4.3 in) long. Males weigh about 5.6 g (0.20 oz) and females about 5.3 g (0.19 oz).

Andean Emeralds are found along humid and wet forest borders, in second-growth trees, and in highland clearings. Elevations can change significantly during the season, but most occur above 1000 meters. Their song might sound similar to that of a Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), but the Andean Emerald has a less melodious sound.

Their bills are straight to slightly decurved. This bird glistens violet-blue at the crown, golden to emerald-green on its cheeks and neck, light to golden-green on its upperparts and flanks, copperish tinges on the uppertail-coverts, white at the center of the underparts, bronze-green to copperish on the tail, sometimes with a purplish tinge to its inner rectrices. In females, the crown is less glittery and more turquoise-blue to greenish in color. A juvenile male's crown coloration resembles that of a female, and he also has brownish feather borders on the entire upperparts, while the flanks are greyish brown.

3 subspecies:

1. U. f. franciae
   Distribution Andes of NW and C Colombia

2. U. f. viridiceps
   Distribution SW Colombia (Nariño) and W Ecuador (S to Loja).

3. U. f. cyanocollis
   Distribution Andes of SE Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe) and N Peru (Marañón Valley S to E La Libertad).

taken in Colombia

taken in Peru