Chlorestes candida
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The white-bellied emerald (Chlorestes candida) is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Mexico, and Nicaragua. The white-bellied emerald was originally placed in genus Amazilia. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2014 found that Amazilia was polyphyletic. In 2020 the North American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS) and the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) moved it and four other hummingbirds into genus Chlorestes. In 2021 the Clements taxonomy followed suit. However, the 2020 Version 5 of BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World retains it in Amazilia.
The nominate subspecies of white-bellied emerald is 8 to 11 cm (3.1 to 4.3 in) long and weighs 2.9 to 4.3 g (0.10 to 0.15 oz). Adults' upperparts are metallic bronze to bronzy green, with the back usually greener than the crown and neck. The underparts are white with metallic bronzy green from... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Cusuco National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 6 | Pico Bonito National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 7 | Lago de Yojoa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 8 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 10 | Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 11 | Biotopo Cerro Cahuí | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 12 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 13 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Emerald sighting in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 113th most-seen of the 240 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and June
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Emerald in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in December, the lowest month. Those are among Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve's wettest months, with about 260 mm of rain a month against 55 mm in March.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-bellied Emerald sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
10th of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate White-bellied Emerald sightings, Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve ranks 10th at about 10%. The best odds are in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 40%), Cusuco National Park (Honduras, about 40%) and Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (Honduras, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Trochilidae
The closest relatives of the White-bellied Emerald that you can see in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (about 50%), Long-billed Hermit (about 30%) and Stripe-throated Hermit (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-bellied Emerald is recorded against all the birds logged in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (43 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
