Trochilini


Trochilini is one of the three tribes that make up the subfamily Trochilinae in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. The other two tribes in the subfamily are Lampornithini and Mellisugini.
The informal name "emeralds" has been proposed for this group. Several genera contain species with "emerald" in their common name including Chlorostilbon which contains ten. The tribe contains 114 species divided into 36 genera.

Phylogeny

A molecular phylogenetic study of the hummingbirds published in 2007 found that the species formed nine major clades. When Edward Dickinson and James Van Remsen, Jr. updated the Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World for the 4th edition in 2013 they based their classification on these results and placed three of the nine clades in the subfamily Trochilinae. The clades were placed in separate tribes which they named Trochilini, Lampornithini and Mellisugini. The tribe Trochilini with the current circumscription was introduced in 2009.
Molecular phylogenetic studies by Jimmy McGuire and collaborators published between 2007 and 2014 determined the relationships between the major groups of hummingbirds. In the cladogram below the English names are those introduced in 1997. The Latin names are those proposed by Dickinson and Remsen in 2013.
The 2014 study by McGuire led to a major revision of the classification of the Trochilini. Many of the traditional genera were found to be polyphyletic and as a result the classification was substantially revised as shown below in the cladogram. Only one new genus was introduced but eleven genera were resurrected. At the same time six of the former genera were synonymized.

Taxonomic list

The tribe contains 36 genera.
ImageGenusLiving species
Phaeoptila
Riccordia
  • Cuban emerald, Riccordia ricordii
  • Brace's emerald, Riccordia bracei
  • Hispaniolan emerald, Riccordia swainsonii
  • Puerto Rican emerald, Riccordia maugaeus
  • Blue-headed hummingbird, Riccordia bicolor
  • Cynanthus
  • Broad-billed hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris
  • Turquoise-crowned hummingbird, Cynanthus doubledayi
  • Golden-crowned emerald, Cynanthus auriceps
  • Cozumel emerald, Cynanthus forficatus
  • Canivet's emerald, Cynanthus canivetii
  • Chlorostilbon
  • Garden emerald, Chlorostilbon assimilis
  • Western emerald, Chlorostilbon melanorhynchus
  • Red-billed emerald, Chlorostilbon gibsoni
  • Blue-tailed emerald, Chlorostilbon mellisugus
  • Chiribiquete emerald, Chlorostilbon olivaresi
  • Glittering-bellied emerald, Chlorostilbon lucidus
  • Coppery emerald, Chlorostilbon russatus
  • Narrow-tailed emerald, Chlorostilbon stenurus
  • Green-tailed emerald, Chlorostilbon alice
  • Short-tailed emerald, Chlorostilbon poortmani
  • Basilinna
  • White-eared hummingbird, Basilinna leucotis
  • Xantus's hummingbird, Basilinna xantusii
  • Pampa
  • Curve-winged sabrewing, Pampa curvipennis
  • Wedge-tailed sabrewing, Pampa pampa
  • Long-tailed sabrewing, Pampa excellens
  • Rufous sabrewing, Pampa rufa
  • Abeillia
  • Emerald-chinned hummingbird, Abeillia abeillei
  • Klais
  • Violet-headed hummingbird, Klais guimeti
  • Orthorhyncus
  • Antillean crested hummingbird, Orthorhyncus cristatus
  • Anthocephala
  • Santa Marta blossomcrown, Anthocephala floriceps
  • Tolima blossomcrown, Anthocephala berlepschi
  • Stephanoxis
  • Green-crowned plovercrest, Stephanoxis lalandi
  • Purple-crowned plovercrest, Stephanoxis loddigesii
  • Campylopterus
  • Grey-breasted sabrewing, Campylopterus largipennis
  • Outcrop sabrewing, Campylopterus calcirupicola
  • Diamantina sabrewing, Campylopterus diamantinensis
  • Rufous-breasted sabrewing, Campylopterus hyperythrus
  • White-tailed sabrewing, Campylopterus ensipennis
  • Lazuline sabrewing, Campylopterus falcatus
  • Santa Marta sabrewing, Campylopterus phainopeplus
  • Violet sabrewing, Campylopterus hemileucurus
  • Buff-breasted sabrewing, Campylopterus duidae
  • Napo sabrewing, Campylopterus villaviscensio
  • Chalybura
  • Bronze-tailed plumeleteer, Chalybura urochrysia
  • White-vented plumeleteer, Chalybura buffonii
  • Thalurania
  • Crowned woodnymph, Thalurania colombica
  • Fork-tailed woodnymph, Thalurania furcata
  • Long-tailed woodnymph, Thalurania watertonii
  • Violet-capped woodnymph, Thalurania glaucopis
  • Microchera
  • Snowcap, Microchera albocoronata
  • Coppery-headed emerald, Microchera cupreiceps
  • White-tailed emerald, Microchera chionura
  • Goldmania
  • Violet-capped hummingbird, Goldmania violiceps
  • Pirre hummingbird, Goldmania bella
  • Eupherusa
  • Mexican woodnymph, Eupherusa ridgwayi
  • White-tailed hummingbird, Eupherusa poliocerca
  • Oaxaca hummingbird, Eupherusa cyanophrys
  • Stripe-tailed hummingbird, Eupherusa eximia
  • Black-bellied hummingbird, Eupherusa nigriventris
  • Phaeochroa
  • Scaly-breasted hummingbird, Phaeochroa cuvierii
  • Leucippus
  • Buffy hummingbird, Leucippus fallax
  • Thaumasius
  • Tumbes hummingbird, Thaumasius baeri
  • Spot-throated hummingbird, Thaumasius taczanowskii
  • Taphrospilus
  • Many-spotted hummingbird, Taphrospilus hypostictus
  • Eupetomena
  • Swallow-tailed hummingbird, Eupetomena macrourus
  • Sombre hummingbird, Eupetomena cirrochloris
  • Talaphorus
  • Olive-spotted hummingbird, Talaphorus chlorocercus
  • Trochilus
  • Red-billed streamertail, Trochilus polytmus
  • Black-billed streamertail, Trochilus scitulus
  • Ramosomyia
  • Violet-crowned hummingbird, Ramosomyia violiceps
  • Green-fronted hummingbird, Ramosomyia viridifrons
  • Cinnamon-sided hummingbird, Ramosomyia wagneri
  • Saucerottia
  • Azure-crowned hummingbird, Saucerottia cyanocephala
  • Blue-vented hummingbird, Saucerottia hoffmanni
  • Berylline hummingbird, Saucerottia beryllina
  • Blue-tailed hummingbird, Saucerottia cyanura
  • Snowy-bellied hummingbird, Saucerottia edward
  • Steely-vented hummingbird, Saucerottia saucerrottei
  • Indigo-capped hummingbird, Saucerottia cyanifrons
  • Chestnut-bellied hummingbird, Saucerottia castaneiventris
  • Green-bellied hummingbird, Saucerottia viridigaster
  • Copper-rumped hummingbird, Saucerottia tobaci
  • Copper-tailed hummingbird, Saucerottia cupreicauda
  • Amazilia
  • Cinnamon hummingbird, Amazilia rutila
  • Buff-bellied hummingbird, Amazilia yucatanensis
  • Rufous-tailed hummingbird, Amazilia tzacatl
  • Honduran emerald, Amazilia luciae
  • Mangrove hummingbird, Amazilia boucardi
  • Amazilis
  • Amazilia hummingbird, Amazilis amazilia
  • Uranomitra
  • Andean emerald, Uranomitra franciae
  • Chrysuronia
  • Shining-green hummingbird, Chrysuronia goudoti
  • Golden-tailed sapphire, Chrysuronia oenone
  • Versicolored emerald, Chrysuronia versicolor
  • Sapphire-throated hummingbird, Chrysuronia coeruleogularis
  • Sapphire-bellied hummingbird, Chrysuronia lilliae
  • Humboldt's sapphire, Chrysuronia humboldtii
  • Blue-headed sapphire, Chrysuronia grayi
  • White-chested emerald, Chrysuronia brevirostris
  • Plain-bellied emerald, Chrysuronia leucogaster
  • Leucochloris
  • White-throated hummingbird, Leucochloris albicollis
  • Chionomesa
  • Glittering-throated emerald, Chionomesa fimbriata
  • Sapphire-spangled emerald, Chionomesa lactea
  • Hylocharis
  • Rufous-throated sapphire, Hylocharis sapphirina
  • Gilded sapphire, Hylocharis chrysura
  • Elliotomyia
  • White-bellied hummingbird, Elliotomyia chionogaster
  • Green-and-white hummingbird, Elliotomyia viridicauda
  • Polyerata
  • Blue-chested hummingbird, Polyerata amabilis
  • Charming hummingbird, Polyerata decora
  • Purple-chested hummingbird, Polyerata rosenbergi
  • Chlorestes
  • White-bellied emerald, Chlorestes candida
  • Blue-throated sapphire, Chlorestes eliciae
  • White-chinned sapphire, Chlorestes cyanus
  • Violet-bellied hummingbird, Chlorestes julie
  • Blue-chinned sapphire, Chlorestes notata