Family Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Least Concern
Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas)
Taxonomy
French: Colibri géant German: Riesenkolibri Spanish: Colibrí gigante
Taxonomy:
Trochilus gigas
Vieillot
, 1824,Brazil; error = Valparaíso, Chile
.
Subspecies and Distribution
P. g. peruviana
Boucard, 1893 – Andes of SW Colombia (Nariño) S to extreme N Chile (Tarapacá) and NW Argentina (S to N Catamarca and Tucumán).
P. g. gigas
(Vieillot, 1824) – C & S Chile (Atacama to Concepción and Valdivia, occasionally S to Aisén) and adjacent CW Argentina (S to Mendoza); S populations winter N to NW Argentina (Catamarca, Tucumán). Recorded repeatedly in summer in Sierras Grandes de Córdoba, in C Argentina#R.
Descriptive notes
20–22 cm; 18·5–20·2 g, some birds may be over 23 g. Unmistakable, the largest hummingbird; hovers with very slow wingbeats, flight almost swift-like... read more
Voice
Song or chase call a mixture of squeaky piping whistles and trills, sounding somewhat passerine-... read more
Habitat
Favours arid, open habitats with low vegetation and few trees, usually not over 10 m in height.... read more
Food and feeding
In Ecuador and N Peru feeds mainly from Agave and Puya flowers; Agave was introduced to the area only in 16th... read more
Breeding
Mainly Dec–Mar (Ecuador), Sept–Mar (Peru) or Oct–Jan (Chile) and Feb (NW Argentina). Chilean populations sometimes have... read more
Movements
Populations of nominate race breeding in Chile and CW Argentina in spring and summer migrate across... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Throughout its extensive range species is generally not uncommon. Does not seem to be restricted to threatened habitat... read more
Two subspecies recognized.