| Microchera | |
|---|---|
| |
| Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Strisores |
| Order: | Apodiformes |
| Family: | Trochilidae |
| Tribe: | Trochilini |
| Genus: | Microchera Gould, 1858 |
| Type species | |
| Mellisuga albocoronata1 Lawrence, 1855
| |
| Species | |
|
3, see text | |
Microchera is a genus of hummingbirds.
Species
The genus includes three species:2
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowcap
Male
|
Microchera albocoronata (Lawrence, 1855) Two subspecies3
|
Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama
|
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
| Coppery-headed emerald
Male
|
Microchera cupreiceps (Lawrence, 1866) |
Costa Rica
|
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
| White-tailed emerald
|
Microchera chionura (Gould, 1851) |
Costa Rica and Panama.
|
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
The white-tailed emerald and the coppery-headed emerald were formerly placed in the genus Elvira. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that these two species were closely related to the snowcap in the genus Microchera.4 The three species were therefore placed together in Microchera which has priority.2
References
References
- "Trochilidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2020). "Hummingbirds". IOC World Bird List Version 10.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (August 2022). "Hummingbirds". IOC World Bird List. v 12.2. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- McGuire, J.; Witt, C.; Remsen, J.V.; Corl, A.; Rabosky, D.; Altshuler, D.; Dudley, R. (2014). "Molecular phylogenetics and the diversification of hummingbirds". Current Biology. 24 (8): 910–916. Bibcode:2014CBio...24..910M. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.03.016. PMID 24704078.