Habitat
Mainly in the ecotone between mangroves and tropical deciduous forest, and in undisturbed, dry deciduous forest and overgrazed habitats c.25 km inland. Also rural gardens and urban areas.
Mexico. Two distinct populations, one in central Veracruz and the other on the northern fringe of the Yucatán peninsula. Recent studies have found no morphological differences between the two populations, but there are distinct ecological differences.
Population
Estimated population is 20,000 - 49,999 (2010).
Status NT
Habitat destruction and degradation through livestock grazing and sugar cane cultivation, tourism, is the main threat.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Food
Flowers of Ipomoea, Justicia and Helicteres guazumaefolia, and small arthropods.
Mexican Sheartail (Doricha eliza) [XC332154]
by Ross Gallardy from restaurant Chiquila, Mexico (call)
Mexican Sheartail (Doricha eliza) [XC609257]
by Ross Gallardy from Chavarrillo, Emiliano Zapata, Veracruz, Mexico (call, flight call)
Nest
Cup-shaped, composed of seeds of Compositae, lichens and spiders' webs.
Subspecies
Genus sometimes merged into Calothorax, or an expanded version of Calliphlox. The two populations of present species show some differences in plumage characters, possibly representing two subspecies.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet