ANIMAL: Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza Type of Animal: Songbird Habitat: Forest, forest edge, secondary woodland, clearings, found as high as 7,545.932 ft Location(s): Ranges from S Mexico to Brazil, also found on Trinidad & Tobago Appearance: Both sexes have sharp decurved bill & dark gray legs/feet, males blue-green (blackish edges in flight/tail feathers) w/ black head/yellow bill/bright blue-green chin/throat/red eyes, females/juveniles grass-green to apple-green, paler throat/belly (yellowish lower belly/chin), reddish-brown eyes, black head, bill duller than male’s, juveniles have dark gray bill/brown eyes Food/Diet: Fruit, nectar, arthropods/arthropod larvae, seeds, worms Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos, wildlife centers, & aviculture Lifestyle: Flocks of 2-6 birds Additional Info: Called: Male: Cock Female: Hen Young: Chick Group: Flock Weight: 0.67 oz Gestation: 2 weeks Life Span: 7-10 years Height: 5-5.5 in Body Length: 5-5.5 in Tail Length: Male: 1.86 in Female: 1.76 in Main predators are snakes, birds, mammals, lizards, crocodilians, & tarantulas. Females build small cup nests in trees. Females lay 2 brown-blotched white eggs per clutch. Vocalizes w/ sharp chips. Active during the day (diurnal). Feet come in handy for holding grip while reaching for food. Female incubates but both parents care for chicks. Often seen w/ other bird species. Bright coloration allows them to camouflage. Very active & often restless birds. Song soft buzzy twittering interspersed w/ brief trills. Rarely come to the ground. Chicks fledge at 12 days old. Fun Fact(s): Often catches arthropods in flight. Often seen hopping from twig to twig when foraging. These birds make a few appearances in 2011 movie Rio. Sometimes kept as cagebirds.
