Giant Hummingbird

Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas)

Name Origin:
The genus name Patagona refers to “Patagonia,” the southern region of South America, part of the species’ range. The specific epithet gigas is Greek for “giant,” aptly describing this impressive hummingbird’s size and stature.

Quick Facts

• 🪶 Length: 20–23 cm (7.9–9.1 in)

• ⚖️ Weight: 18–24 g (0.63–0.85 oz)

• 🌎 Range: Andes from Ecuador and Peru south to Chile and Argentina

• 🧭 Elevation: 1,500–4,600 m (4,900–15,000 ft)

• 🌸 Diet: Nectar, small insects, and spiders

• 🏡 Habitat: Arid and semi-arid montane scrub, dry valleys, and open slopes

• 🧬 Clade: Patagonini (Andean highland hummingbirds)

• 📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)

Subspecies & Distribution

Two subspecies:

1. Patagona gigas peruviana
Distribution: Andes of Ecuador, Peru, and extreme northern Chile, generally above 2,000 meters.

2. Patagona gigas gigas
Distribution: Andes of Bolivia, northern to central Chile, and northwestern Argentina (south to Mendoza).

Species Overview

The Giant Hummingbird is a unique species, remarkable for its size and power. Though much larger than typical hummingbirds, it retains the agile flight style of its smaller relatives — albeit with slower, rhythmic wingbeats audible as a deep hum. It is a bird of open, sunlit Andean habitats, often seen visiting tall tubular flowers such as Puya and Salvia. Its large range and adaptability make it an emblem of the high Andes.

Male Description:
The male is brownish-olive above with a pale cinnamon throat and chest, a buff belly, and rufous undertail coverts. The bill is long, straight, and black. In good light, subtle green iridescence can be seen on the crown and upperparts.

Female Description:
The female is similar to the male but slightly paler overall, with more buff on the underparts and a less distinctly marked throat. Both sexes share a relatively long tail that is dark with rufous edging.

Habitat & Behavior:
Inhabits arid and semi-arid Andean scrub, valleys, and open slopes, ranging up to 4,600 meters elevation. The Giant Hummingbird feeds on nectar from large tubular flowers, especially Puya (Bromeliaceae), and supplements its diet with insects for protein. Its wingbeat rate — roughly 10–15 beats per second — is the slowest among hummingbirds, often compared to that of a large moth. Nests are built on cliffs or rocky outcrops, lined with soft plant fibers and spider silk.

Conservation Note:
The Giant Hummingbird is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and remains widespread and locally common, though populations are declining slightly due to habitat loss, climate change, and overgrazing in high Andean regions. It is present in many protected areas, including Huascarán National Park (Peru) and Elqui Valley Reserve (Chile). Conservation of native montane scrub and flowering bromeliad communities is vital to maintain this exceptional Patagonini species.

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Below is the Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas gigas)

Photographed at Viña del Mar National Botanical Garden, Valparaíso, and Parque Nacional Lauca, Putre, Arica y Parinacota, Chile

These individuals belong to the subspecies gigas, which occurs throughout the central and southern Andes from southern Peru through Chile and Argentina. It is the largest living hummingbird species, inhabiting open montane scrub, high Andean valleys, and arid slopes between 2,000 and 4,500 meters.

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