New hummingbird species discovery in the Bahamas

Tail shape played a major role in distinguishing the Inaguan Lyretail (right) as a separate species from the Bahama Woodstar (left). The forked, lyre-shaped tail feathers of the Inaguan Lyretail produce a different sound during male courtship display dives than the fanned tail feathers of the Bahama Woodstar. Photos by Anand Varma.

Tail shape played a major role in the recent distinguishing of the Inaguan Lyretail hummingbird (right), found only in the southern Inaguan islands of the Bahamas, as a separate species from the Bahama Woodstar (left). The forked, lyre-shaped tail feathers of the Inaguan Lyretail produce a different sound during male courtship display dives than the fanned tail feathers of the Bahama Woodstar. Photos by Anand Varma.

From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in the USA today:

A New Hummingbird Species Revealed

The American Ornithologists’ Union has named a new hummingbird species, the Inaguan Woodstar. A member of the Bee Hummingbird group, it was formerly lumped with the similar-looking Bahama Woodstar. Scientists from Yale, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the University of California, Riverside, found differences in song, behavior, physical measurements, and DNA sequences suggesting that the species have been separated genetically for half a million years. Learn more about these dazzling Caribbean hummingbirds and the backyard clues that led to a new species.