Cuban Emerald

Male Cuban emeralds are 10.5 to 11.5 cm (4.1 to 4.5 in) long and females 9.5 to 10.5 cm (3.7 to 4.1 in). The species weighs between 2.5 and 5 g (0.088 and 0.18 oz). Males have a short, slightly decurved, black-tipped bill whose mandible is dull black and the maxilla red. It has a small whitish spot behind the eye. Its upperparts are dark shining green with a bronze tinge; the crown is darker and duller. Its underparts are mostly iridescent metallic green with white undertail coverts. The tail is deeply forked. Its innermost four pairs of feathers are dark metallic bronze to greenish bronze and the outermost pair similar with dark brown inner webs. Female's upperparts are similar to the male's. It has a longer whitish spot behind the eye. The underparts are mostly brownish gray with metallic green flanks and white undertail coverts. The tail is less forked than the male's but colored similarly.

The Cuban emerald is found on the main island of Cuba, the large Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Pines), and several smaller offshore cays. It is also found on Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, Andros, and Green Cay and occasionally as a stray on other islands in the Bahamas. It inhabits a variety of wooded habitats. On mainland Cuba it mostly occurs in both arid and humid open forest and on Grand Bahama in pine woods and coastal scrub forest. It also occurs in parks, gardens, and plantations. In elevation it ranges from sea level to at least 1,300 m (4,300 ft) but there are records at almost 2,000 m (6,600 ft) on Cuba.

The Cuban emerald forages for nectar at a variety of flowering trees and shrubs, generally staying below about 6 m (20 ft) of the ground. It also feeds on small insects captured by hawking from a perch and sometimes by gleaning from spider webs.