Red Billed Streamertail
Scientific Name :Trochilus polytmus Other Common Names :Doctor bird, Swallow tail hummingbird Range :Jamaica Diet :Nectar
Appearance
Red-billed Streamertails show sexual dimorphism meaning male and female streamertails show observable differences in their appearance.
Male streamertails have bright green, iridescent feathers and have a long fourth tail feathers often called streamers. These streamers make a distinctive whirring sound during flight. Female red-billed streamertails are dull green in colour and do not have this elongated tail feather. Young male streamertails also lack streamers.
A difference is also observed in bird length with male red-billed streamer tails having an average length of 20-30 cm and females having an average of 10.5cm.
Male red-bills on average weigh 5.2g whilst females weigh 4.4g. The average wingspan of Red-billed Streamertails is 16.5 cm.
Range & Habitat
The Red-billed Streamer tail is endemic Jamaica and can be found be readily found across the western side of the island. Eastern areas of the island are dominated by the Black billed Streamer tail, another endemic hummingbird of Jamaica.
Streamertails can be found in various habitats such as gardens, parks and forest edges. They aggressively defend their territories by actively chasing and fighting other streamertails.
Diet
Red Billed Streamer tails are attracted to bright colours and the sweet smell of nectar. They feed from a variety of plants with bright, fragrant flowers. Usually tube shaped flowers.
Their long beak and extendable tail make the extraction of nectar from these plants easier. Insects are sometimes consumed by mothers to aid in development of offspring. Offspring are fed by their mothers through regurgitation.
Mating
Red-billed streamer tails mate throughout the year especially in the months of January to May. Males court females by hovering and a tail waving display.
Successful mating results in 2 small, white eggs. The eggs are then placed in a nest made from woven plant fibers and cobwebs. After an incubation period of 17-19 days, the eggs hatch starting the fledgling period which generally lasts 18-24 days. Maternal care of the young lasts for 3-4 weeks. Both males and females reach sexual maturity at 2 years old.
Culture
The Red-Billed streamer tail, also referred to as the Doctor Bird is the National Bird of Jamaica. The origin of the name is not known but it was thought to be given because the long tail feathers resemble the long tail coats worn by doctors in the old days, another thought behind the origin of the name doctor bird is the precise way hummingbirds extract nectar from flowers with their beaks.
Fun Facts !
The Red billed Streamer tail is the national bird of Jamaica
Red billed streamer tails are born blind, with no feathers
Increasing length of male tail feathers is thought to influence mating success
Red billed Streamer tails are known to regularly take sunbaths and water baths