BAHAMA WOODSTAR HUMMINGBIRD- (Nesophlox evelynae)
Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Nesophlox
Species: N. evelynae
The Bahama Woodstar hummingbird is a Caribbean native predominantly found in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In the United States they are seen scarcely in the southern half of Florida.
Well adapted to island life, the Bahama Woodstar is sometimes mistaken for the Cuban Emerald hummingbird, which also resides in the Bahamas.
Male
Bahama Woodstar Hummingbirds:
Male Bahama Woodstar hummingbirds feature a rose-purple (gorget) defined by a white collar under the gorget. Their wings are brown and the tail is deeply forked and black.
They have a light tan belly with white flanks. Their size ranges from 3.1-3.7 inches in length and weighs 2.5-3.3 grams.
The coloration of their head and back is a greenish-bronze with a metallic sheen appearance.
The metal plate that shields the wearer’s throat during combat to prevent injuries is the inspiration behind the name of the gorget on a male hummingbird. This name is acceptable and fitting to characterize the physical characteristics of male hummingbirds, since they fight fiercely for their own territory.
Read my article:
Hummingbird Gorgets Explained
Female
Bahama Woodstar Hummingbirds:
Female Bahama Woodstar hummingbirds’ plumage is less vibrant in color and lacks the white collar seen in males.
Her head and back are greenish-bronze, similar to the male but slightly duller.
The throat and underparts are pale buff or white and the tail is rounded, with rufous or cinnamon edges on the outer feathers.
Female Bahama Woodstar hummingbirds have a rufous-tinted tail and slender, elegant shape to help distinguish her from similar hummingbird species, such as the female Cuban Emerald hummingbird, which is also found in the Bahamas.
When breeding and nesting, she builds a small cup shaped camouflage nest using plant material and spider silk to hold the nest together.
Read my article:
Hummingbird Parents: (Mating to Nesting)
See my article:
Why Hummingbirds Chase Each Other: Is it Friend or Foe?
Juvenile
Bahama Woodstar Hummingbirds:
Male and female juvenile Bahama Woodstar hummingbirds initially resemble adult females until the male starts to develop the iridescent feathers that are characteristic of this species of hummingbird.
As juveniles molt into their first full set of feathers, the fluffy white undertail coverts become visible. These feathers are a distinguishing feature and are often more prominent due to their soft texture.
Baby
Bahama Woodstar Hummingbirds:
Baby Bahama Woodstar hummingbirds are tiny, naked, and helpless at birth, with closed eyes and no feathers. They grow quickly, developing gray down within a few days. By 2–3 weeks, pin feathers emerge, and their green plumage starts showing.
Fed by regurgitated nectar and insects from their mother, they fledge the nest at about 3 weeks old.
See my article:
Baby Hummingbirds: (Egg to Fledgling)
Hear the sounds of the Bahama Woodstar hummingbird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology link).