Microchera

Microchera
Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Tribe: Trochilini
Genus: Microchera
Gould, 1858
Type species
Mellisuga albocoronata
Lawrence, 1855
Species

3, see text

Microchera is a genus of hummingbirds.

Species

The genus includes three species:

Genus Microchera – Gould, 1858 – three species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Snowcap


Male

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Female

 Microchera albocoronata
(Lawrence, 1855)

Two subspecies
  • M. a. albocoronata
  • (Lawrence, 1855)
  • M. a. parvirostris
  • (Lawrence, 1865)
Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama
Map of range		 Size:

Habitat:

Diet:		  LC 

Coppery-headed emerald


Male

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Female

 Microchera cupreiceps
(Lawrence, 1866)		 Costa Rica
Map of range		 Size:

Habitat:

Diet:		  LC 

White-tailed emerald

 Microchera chionura
(Gould, 1851)		 Costa Rica and Panama.
Map of range		 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. The three species were therefore placed together in Microchera which has priority.

References

  1. ↑ "Trochilidae". Howard & Moore Checklist Online. Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  2. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2020). "Hummingbirds". IOC World Bird List Version 10.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  3. ↑ Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (August 2022). "Hummingbirds". IOC World Bird List. v 12.2. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  4. ↑ 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.