Chlorestes candida
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
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 |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Emerald sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 877 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 24th most-seen of the 288 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a White-bellied Emerald in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against about 20% in August and September, the lowest months. That is one of Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve's driest months, with about 55 mm of rain against 230 mm in June.
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.
Yes
Of the 13 parks where we can rate White-bellied Emerald sightings, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come 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 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Cinnamon Hummingbird (about 40%), Wedge-tailed Sabrewing (about 30%) and Buff-bellied Hummingbird (about 20%), 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 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (877 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.
