Red-billed Streamertail (Trochilus polytmus)
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Red-billed Streamertail

Trochilus polytmus Linnaeus, 1758

10 cmLength4.8 gWeight

The red-billed streamertail (Trochilus polytmus), also known as the doctor bird, or swallow tail hummingbird, is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of the subfamily Trochilinae.

Busiest months: March · Most records: Jamaica

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March · Most records: Jamaica

Red-billed Streamertail has been recorded at 14 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Green Castle EstateJamaica1,002 records
  2. Font Hill Nature PreserveJamaica955 records
  3. Rocklands Bird SanctuaryJamaica648 records
More places
  1. Blue Mountains NP – Starlight ChaletJamaica513 records
  2. Blue Mountains NP – Hardwar GapJamaica497 records
  3. Hope Botanical GardensJamaica484 records
  4. Marshalls PenJamaica408 records
  5. Stewart TownJamaica309 records
  6. Blue Mountains NP – Silver Hill GapJamaica267 records
  7. Blue Mountains NP – Hardwar Gap to Silver Hill GapJamaica201 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Jamaica

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The red-billed streamertail (Trochilus polytmus), also known as the doctor bird, or swallow tail hummingbird, is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of the subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Jamaica and is the national bird of the country.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Red-billed Streamertail?

The Red-billed Streamertail is about 10 cm long and weighs around 4.8 g.

Where does the Red-billed Streamertail live?

Its breeding range: North America: Jamaica (except extreme northeastern). It is most often recorded in Jamaica.

When is the best time to see the Red-billed Streamertail?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Red-billed Streamertail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-billed Streamertail as Least Concern.

What does the Red-billed Streamertail eat?

Main food: Nectar.

What family is the Red-billed Streamertail in?

It belongs to the family Hummingbirds (Trochilidae), order Apodiformes.

At a glance

Length
10 cm
Weight
4.8 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Nectar
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
62 mm
Tail
41 mm
Bill
23 mm
Tarsus
6 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: Jamaica (except extreme northeastern)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Hummingbirds Trochilidae
Genus
Trochilus

Other birds in the genus Trochilus

Black-billed StreamertailBlack-billed StreamertailTrochilus scitulusCrimson TopazCrimson TopazTopaza pellaFiery TopazFiery TopazTopaza pyraWhite-necked JacobinWhite-necked JacobinFlorisuga mellivoraBlack JacobinBlack JacobinFlorisuga fuscaWhite-tipped SicklebillWhite-tipped SicklebillEutoxeres aquilaBuff-tailed SicklebillBuff-tailed SicklebillEutoxeres condaminiSaw-billed HermitSaw-billed HermitRamphodon naeviusHook-billed HermitHook-billed HermitGlaucis dohrniiBronzy HermitBronzy HermitGlaucis aeneus
Red-billed Streamertail

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗

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