The Escudo hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl handleyi) is a hummingbird in the subfamily Trochilinae. It has previously been distinct species, but more recently it is generally treated as a subspecies of the rufous-tailed hummingbird, A. tzacatl.
It is endemic to Isla Escudo de Veraguas in Panama. Except for its larger size, it is similar to the rufous-tailed hummingbird. Its natural habitat is tropical moist shrubland and woodland. With a total range estimated at only 3 km2, it is potentially threatened by habitat loss or invasive species.
The Escudo hummingbird was described as a separate species in 1963,[1] but its status has often been debated.[2] Currently, it is considered a subspecies of the larger A. tzacatl group. Like many endemic taxa of Isla Escudo de Veraguas, it likely diverged from the mainland taxa somewhere around 9,000 years ago when post-glacial sea-level rise separated the island.
The Escudo hummingbird, like other subspecies within A. tzacatl, is a medium-sized hummingbird with green plumage, a pink beak, and a distinctive rufous tail. Unlike mainland subspecies, however, the Escudo birds are notably larger and darker in overall color.
When it was still considered as a distinct species, it was classified as Vulnerable species by the IUCN, noting that any evidence of a declining population could lead to an uplisting to Critically Endangered status.[3] In 2008, it was removed from the IUCN Red List, however, as only taxa considered as full species can be listed.[4]