

Profile

In flight
Hummingbirds
Jamaican Streamertail
Trochilus polytmus
- rare
- 56 km/h
- Least Concern
Jamaica's national bird. The male has tail feathers half again his body length that hum in flight.
- Population
- Not precisely quantified; described as fairly common with a stable population trend (no continuing range decline observed)
- Habitat
- Subtropical/tropical moist lowland and montane forests, secondary forest, wooded cultivation, plantations, rural gardens, and urban areas; avoids mangroves and arid highlands; occurs 0–1,600 m elevation (Wikipedia cites up to 1,500 m) with seasonal altitudinal movements
- Fun fact
- The Red-billed Streamertail — Jamaica's national bird, nicknamed the "Doctor Bird" for its long black tail streamers resembling a physician's old-fashioned frock-coat tails — is the more widespread of Jamaica's two endemic streamertail species, occupying nearly the whole island versus the Black-billed Streamertail's small eastern range.
- Range
- Endemic to Jamaica, occurring across most of the island (excludes the extreme eastern end, home to the related Black-billed Streamertail, T. scitulus); Extent of Occurrence ~12,800 km²; 13 Important Bird Areas/Key Biodiversity Areas provide coverage
- Diet
- Primarily nectar from native and introduced flowering plants (preference for Besleria lutea), supplemented with small insects and spiders taken in flight or gleaned from foliage and webs
- Size
- 0.23 m
- Lifespan
- 8 years











