Current view: Data table and detailed info
Taxonomic note
The form lyrura was proposed to be split from Nesophlox evelynae by Feo et al. (2015), on the basis of different tail morphology, display and voice. Since the tail morphology is associated with the display, only one of these phenomena should be scored for level of difference using the Tobias criteria. Based on data in Table 1 in Feo et al. (2015: 253), we find that lyrura differs from evelynae in its shorter R1 (12.8 ± 1.0 vs 15.6 ± 0.9), hence effect size –2.9 (score 2); longer R5 (38.0 ± 1.1 vs 31.8 ± 1.1), hence effect size 5.64 (score 3); fully iridescent vs almost entire non-iridescent forecrown in males (at least 2); much lower fundamental frequency of scolding chip calls (1.5–3 kHz vs 7–9 kHz) (3); much quieter (audible <5 m vs <30 m), shorter (<5 s vs 3–27 s) and simpler song (3).
On this basis lyrura emerges as a highly distinct species and meets the criteria for inclusion in the Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world V.3 (HBW and BirdLife International 2018). Prior to the split, Calliphlox evelynae was moved to the genus Nesophlox Ridgway, 1910, on the basis that Abrahamczyk et al. (2015) demonstrated that the species is sister to Mellisuga Brisson, 1760 and Feo et al. (2015) showed that it falls within a clade that also includes Mellisuga and Archilochus Reichenbach, 1854.
Taxonomic source(s)
Abrahamczyk, S., Souto-Vilarós, D., McGuire, J. and Renner, S.S. 2015. Diversity and clade ages of West Indian hummingbirds and the largest plant clades dependent on them: a 5–9 Myr young mutualistic system. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 114(4): 848–859.
Feo, T.J., Musser, J.M., Berv, J. & Clark, C.J. 2015. Divergence in morphology, calls, song, mechanical sounds, and genetics supports species status for the Inaguan hummingbird (Trochilidae: Calliphlox ‘‘evelynae’’ lyrura). Auk 132(1): 248–264.
Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International. 2018. Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 3. Available at: https://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v3_Nov18.zip.
IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Red List history
| Migratory status |
not a migrant |
Forest dependency |
low |
| Land-mass type |
|
Average mass |
- |
Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, but Feo et al. (2015) estimated that on Great Inagua it was likely to number in the low thousands, while the population on Little Inagua is likely to be considerably smaller.
Trend justification: The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.
Country/territory distribution
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Lyre-tailed Hummingbird Nesophlox lyrura. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/lyre-tailed-hummingbird-nesophlox-lyrura on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.
