Hispaniolan Emerald

Dominican Republic

Jul 17

Hispaniolan Emerald (Riccordia swainsonii)

Name Origin:
The genus Riccordia honors Alexandre Ricord, a French physician and naturalist active in the Caribbean. The species name swainsonii honors British ornithologist William Swainson.

Quick Facts

🪶 Length: 9–10 cm (3.5–3.9 in)
⚖️ Weight: ~3.5–4.5 g (0.12–0.16 oz)
🌎 Range: Endemic to the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti)
🧭 Elevation: Sea level to 2,400 m (8,000 ft), most common in foothills
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small arthropods
🏡 Habitat: Dry to humid forest, pine woodland, gardens, plantations
🧬 Clade: Trochilini “Emeralds”
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)

Subspecies & Distribution

Monotypic — no subspecies recognized.

Species Overview

The Hispaniolan Emerald is a medium-sized, island-endemic hummingbird found throughout Hispaniola. Adaptable and often common, it frequents both natural and disturbed habitats from sea level to high elevation pine forests. It feeds actively at a variety of native and ornamental flowers and often visits feeders.

Male Description:
Brilliant emerald-green from crown to rump, with a slightly forked dark tail. Throat and breast shimmer with metallic green. Underparts may show a bluish wash depending on angle and light.

Female Description:
Similar in structure but duller. Green upperparts, whitish underparts with green flecking on the sides and throat. Tail is dark with broad white tips on outer feathers.

Habitat & Behavior:
Forages at all heights, from ground-level shrubs to canopy epiphytes. Shows rapid, darting flight and often chases other hummingbirds from favored flowers. Breeds across a wide range of elevations and habitat types, often nesting in exposed horizontal branches.

Conservation Note:
Despite habitat degradation in parts of Hispaniola, the Hispaniolan Emerald remains widespread and locally abundant. It adapts well to secondary growth and human-altered landscapes. Continued forest loss and land-use change could threaten isolated populations, particularly in Haiti, where deforestation is more severe.