The Cuban emerald is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in the Bahamas and Cuba.
Region
Caribbean
Typical Environment
Occurs across mainland Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, and several islands of the Bahamas. It uses a wide variety of habitats including dry scrub, forest edges, pine forests, mangroves, plantations, and urban gardens. The species readily visits flowering shrubs and ornamental plants in towns and villages. It also forages within understory thickets and along roadsides where nectar plants are abundant.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Cuban emerald is a small, brilliantly iridescent hummingbird common across Cuba and parts of the Bahamas. Males shimmer emerald-green with a dark, slightly forked tail, while females show paler grayish underparts with green flanks. It is highly adaptable, frequenting gardens, forest edges, mangroves, and pine woodlands. Males are notably territorial around rich nectar sources.
Male in flight
Female on nest
Temperament
territorial and agile
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with hovering; swift, direct dashes between flowers
Social Behavior
Typically solitary while foraging, with males defending flower patches vigorously against intruders. Courtship involves aerial chases and display flights. Nests are tiny cups of plant down and spider silk placed on low branches, with two white eggs; the female incubates and raises the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives high-pitched chips and thin, metallic tsit notes, often in quick series. Wingbeats produce a soft humming buzz during close flight. Vocalizations are frequent around feeding territories.
