Chlorostilbon Explained

Chlorostilbon is a genus of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae, known as emeralds (as are some hummingbirds in the genera Amazilia and Elvira). A single species, the blue-chinned sapphire is variously placed in the monotypic genus Chlorestes or in Chlorostilbon. The taxonomy of the C. mellisugus superspecies is highly complex and, depending on view, includes 1-8 species. All species in this genus have straight black or black-and-red bills. The males are overall iridescent green, golden-green or bluish-green, and in some species the tail and/or throat is blue.^[1] The females have whitish-grey underparts, tail-corners and post-ocular streak.

The genus Chlorostilbon was introduced in 1853 by the English ornithologist John Gould to accommodate a single species to which Gould gave the binomial name Chlorostilbon prasinus.^[2] This taxon is now considered as a subspecies of the glittering-bellied emerald Chlorostilbon lucidus pucherani.^{[3] [4] [5]}

Species

The genus contains ten species:^[5]

References

1. Stiles. F. Gary. 1996. A New Species of Emerald Hummingbird (Trochilidae, Chlorostilbon) from the Sierra de Chiribiquete, Southeastern Colombia, with a Review of the C. mellisugus Complex. The Wilson Bulletin. 108. 1. 1–27. 4163634 . 0043-5643.
2. Book: Gould, John . John Gould . 1853 . A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds . 5 . London . self . Plate 355 and text (Part 5 Plate 14) . The 5 volumes were issued in 25 parts between 1849 and 1861. Title pages of all volumes bear the date of 1861.
3. Book: Peters . James Lee . James L. Peters . 1945 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 5 . Harvard University Press . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 36 .
4. Book: Dickinson . E.C. . Edward C. Dickinson . Remsen . J.V. Jr. . James Van Remsen, Jr. . 2013 . The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World . 1: Non-passerines . 4th . Eastbourne, UK . Aves Press . 978-0-9568611-0-8 . 121 .
5. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . January 2023 . Hummingbirds . IOC World Bird List Version 13.1 . International Ornithologists' Union . 28 February 2023 .