Blue-tailed Emerald © oiseaux.net

Forms superspecies with Chiribiquete Emerald (Chlorostilbon olivaresi), which may be merely a subspecies of Blue-tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon mellisugus). Taxonomy highly complex and uncertain. Has been considered to comprise from two to as many as eight different species by some authors, mainly on basis of differences in bill colour, together with shape of tail and overall coloration. The different forms sometimes raised to full species are: auriceps; forficatus; canivetii; salvini (including osberti); assimilis; melanorhynchus (including pumilus); and gibsoni (including chrysogaster and nitens). Alternatively, on the basis of bill colour, the five northernmost subspecies have been lumped under canivetii as one species, assimilis recognized as a separate species, gibsoni (including chrysogaster and nitens) as a third species, and the remaining eight southern subspecies retained as present species. This arrangement has at times been varied by some with the lumping of assimilis within the mellisugus group, or a transfer of melanorhynchus (including pumilus) to the gibsoni group. However, length of tail and depth of tail-fork appear to decrease consistently from north to south, while red-billed forms appear in both northern and southern groups. Also, the different forms replace each other geographically, with ranges consistently meeting, and until further study produces convincing evidence to the contrary it may be best to treat them all as conspecific. Several of the presently accepted subspecies may be invalid and further study is required, especially in zones of possible contact.

Proposed subspecies nanus of upper and middle Orinoco Valley, at one stage placed in canivetii group, may be best considered a synonym of caribaeus. Form napensis (= vitticeps) of Napo Valley (eastern Ecuador) indistinguishable from phoeopygus. Species formerly known as Chlorostilbon prasinus, when name mellisugus was erroneously thought to apply to subspecies braccata of Steely-vented Hummingbird (Amazilia saucerottei).

The following 18 subspecies are recognised:

• auriceps (Linnaeus, 1758)   -  Western Mexico (southern Sinaloa to Durango, Guerrero and Oaxaca). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Golden-crowned Emerald (Chlorostilbon auriceps).
• forficatus Ridgway, 1885   -  South-eastern Mexico (Cozumel I. and rarely Isla Mujeres). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Cozumel Emerald (Chlorostilbon forficatus).
• canivetii (Lesson, 1832)   -  South-eastern Mexico to Costa Rica. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Canivet's Emerald (Chlorostilbon canivetii).
• osberti Gould, 1860   -  South-eastern Mexico (extreme south-eastern Chiapas), western and central Guatemala and El Salvador to Honduras and Nicaragua. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Canivet's Emerald (Chlorostilbon canivetii).
• salvini Cabanis and Heine, 1860   -  Costa Rica, in highlands of Pacific coast (except regions occupied by next race). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Canivet's Emerald (Chlorostilbon canivetii).
• assimilis Lawrence, 1861   -  Pacific slope of south-western Costa Rica and Panama; Coiba and Pearl is. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Garden Emerald (Chlorostilbon assimilis).
• pumilus Gould, 1872   -  Arid and semi-arid tropical and subtropical zones of western Colombia and western Ecuador. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Western Emerald (Chlorostilbon melanorhynchus).
• melanorhynchus Gould, 1860   -  Western Colombia and western, central Ecuador. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Western Emerald (Chlorostilbon melanorhynchus).
• gibsoni (Fraser, 1840)   -  Colombia, north-western Venezuela. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Red-billed Emerald (Chlorostilbon gibsoni).
• chrysogaster (Bourcier, 1843)   -  Northern Colombia from Cartagena to Santa Marta. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Red-billed Emerald (Chlorostilbon gibsoni).
• nitens Lawrence, 1861   -  North-eastern Colombia and north-western Venezuela (western and north of Andes of Mérida). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Red-billed Emerald (Chlorostilbon gibsoni).
• caribaeus Lawrence, 1871   -  Islands of Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Trinidad and Margarita, and north-eastern Venezuela.
• duidae Zimmer, JT & Phelps, 1952   -  Mt Duida (southern Venezuela).
• subfurcatus von Berlepsch, 1887   -  Eastern and southern Venezuela, Guyana and the Rio Branco region of north-western Brazil.
• mellisugus (Linnaeus, 1758)   -  Surinam, French Guiana, lower Amazon Valley of Brazil.
• phoeopygus (Tschudi, 1844)   -  Upper Amazon and its eastern tributaries in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
• peruanus Gould, 1861   -  Peru and eastern Bolivia.
• napensis Gould, 1861   -  North-eastern Peru.

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