Emerald-chinned Hummingbird
Emerald-chinned Hummingbird (Abeillia abeillei)
Name Origin:
The genus Abeillia and the species name abeillei both honor M. Abeillé, a 19th-century French naturalist who contributed to early Central American bird collections.
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 7.5–8.5 cm (3.0–3.3 in)
⚖️ Weight: 2.5–3 g (0.09–0.11 oz)
🌎 Range: Southern Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua
🧭 Elevation: 1,000–2,000 m (3,300–6,600 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small insects
🏡 Habitat: Humid montane and pine-oak forest edges
🧬 Clade: Heliantheini “Brilliants” (montane forest hummingbirds)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)
Subspecies & Distribution
Two subspecies:
1. Abeillia abeillei abeillei
Distribution: Highlands of southern Mexico (Oaxaca, Chiapas), Guatemala, and El Salvador.
2. Abeillia abeillei aurea
Distribution: Highlands of Honduras and northern Nicaragua, generally at slightly lower elevations than the nominate form.
Species Overview
The Emerald-chinned Hummingbird is one of the smallest and most understated members of the Heliantheini. It inhabits humid pine-oak and cloud forest edges where it feeds quietly among flowering trees, especially Inga, Hamelia, and Rondeletia. Its small size, curved bill, and glowing green throat distinguish it from similar species across its range.
Male Description:
The male has bronzy-green upperparts, a brilliant emerald-green chin and throat, and grayish underparts with a metallic wash on the flanks. The tail is dark blue-green, slightly forked, and the bill is blackish with a faint reddish base on the lower mandible.
Female Description:
The female is duller overall, with a less iridescent throat, paler gray belly, and a shorter, more rounded tail tipped in white. Her chin may show a faint green spot or wash.
Habitat & Behavior:
Prefers humid montane and pine-oak forests, often near edges, ravines, and flowering clearings between 1,000 and 2,000 meters elevation. It feeds on nectar from small tubular flowers, frequently following a trapline route. The Emerald-chinned Hummingbird is generally solitary and inconspicuous, perching quietly in low vegetation and emitting a soft tseep-tseep call.
Conservation Note:
The Emerald-chinned Hummingbird is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and remains locally common in suitable montane habitats. However, deforestation and conversion of pine-oak forest to agriculture continue to fragment its range, particularly in southern Mexico and western Honduras. The species benefits from protection within reserves such as Montebello Lakes National Park (Mexico) and La Tigra National Park (Honduras). Preserving continuous mid-elevation forest corridors is key to ensuring long-term population stability of this delicate Heliantheini hummingbird.
Below is the Emerald-chinned Hummingbird (Abeillia abeillei abeillei)
Photographed in Tuxtepec and Ixtlán, Oaxaca, Mexico
This individual belongs to the nominate subspecies abeillei, which occurs in the mountains and foothills of southern Mexico (Oaxaca and Chiapas) south into Guatemala and western Honduras. It inhabits humid montane forest, pine-oak forest, and forest edge between 800 and 1,800 meters elevation.
