Beija-flor-tesoura (Swallow-tailed Hummingbird)

Description:

The "beija-flor-tesoura" is perhaps the most famous member of Apodiformes order, at least in the non-Amazonian Brazil, probably due to its abundance in urbanized sites, the beauty of its colors, the easily recognizable scissor and especially by his abused behavior, as it is one of the largest and most quarrelsome hummingbirds.

It measures between 15 and 19 centimeters in length, one of the largest Brazilian hummingbirds, weighing about 9 grams. Head, neck and upper chest of a violet blue deep; rest of iridescent dark green plumage. Small white patch behind the eyes.

Habitat:

It occurs in Guyana to Bolivia and Paraguay, Brazil, except certain regions of the Amazon. It is often the most common hummingbird in the central-eastern Brazil. Lives in semi-open areas, forest edges, barns, parks and gardens, is common even in large cities..

He does not have fear of the human being, approaching people to feed the bottles with water and sugar or flowers from their gardens. It territorialist and extremely aggressive, especially in the breeding season, when able to attack other much larger birds and small mammals.

At some times of the year when there is less availability of nectar, takes a single tree, which may be a coral tree (Erythrina mulungu) - like shown in photos above - or ipe, as the seat of its territory and defends it fiercely against any bird, especially against other hummingbirds and against the Bananaquit.