Green Mango
Description
The green mango (Anthracothorax viridis) is a large species of hummingbird endemic to the main island of Puerto Rico. It is usually found in the mountainous regions of the island, often in coffee and other kind of plantations. They usually feed on the nectar found in Heliconia flowers. Their feather coloration is mainly solid dark green with a dark blue and black tail, but solid purple-black birds are common. Females are less glossy, and they have very small white tips at the tail ends.
Distribution & Habitat
The Green Mango is endemic to Puerto Rico and particularly
common in the central and
western mountains (Raffaele
and others 1998). This species
inhabits mountain forests, coffee
plantations (Raffaele and others
1998), and forest edges in
mountains and foothills (Oberle
2018). The atlas fieldwork
yielded a total of 141 records
within 99 hexagons or 21
percent of the 479 total hexagons
(see map). Of the 99 hexagons
where this species was found,
breeding met the atlas definition
of confirmed in 5 percent (5) of the hexagons, probable in 12
percent (12), and possible in 81
percent (80), while the species
was observed in 2 percent (2)
of the hexagons but without
evidence of breeding (see map). Green Mango distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.
Breeding Habits
The Green Mango builds a cup-shaped nest coated with
lichens, and breeding has been
recorded in October, December,
February, April, and May in
previously published reports
(Raffaele and others 1998). Atlas
results indicate that the Green
Mango breeding season extends
throughout the year, but it is 83Green Mango/Zumbador Verdemost active from March to June (see chart). Atlas results show
that one of the hexagons where
breeding was confirmed for
the Green Mango occurs in the
metropolitan area of San Juan,
suggesting that some urban
forests may provide suitable
habitat for this forest-dwelling
bird. Results show that the
Green Mango mostly breeds
within the subtropical moist and subtropical wet forest life
zones (49 and 48 percent of the
hexagons, respectively) (see
table and map).
Conservation
The population trend of the Green Mango is unknown;
however, it is listed as a species
of least concern by the IUCN
(BirdLife International 2016), and locally this species is not listed
in any threatened category of
PRDNER or USFWS. In Puerto
Rico, the Green Mango has a
protected habitat in land of 18
percent or 422 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons
where evidence of breeding
was found for this species
(2320 km2).
Related Species
Family:
hummingbird