Green-backed Firecrown
Green-backed Firecrown (Sephanoides sephaniodes)
Name Origin:
The genus Sephanoides is derived from Greek stephanos (“crown” or “wreath”) and -oides (“resembling”), referring to the bright, crown-like iridescence of the male’s head. The species epithet sephaniodes repeats this imagery, essentially meaning “the crowned one.”
Quick Facts
🪶 Length: 10–11 cm (3.9–4.3 in)
⚖️ Weight: 5.5–6.8 g (0.19–0.24 oz)
🌎 Range: Chile and southwestern Argentina, including Tierra del Fuego
🧭 Elevation: Sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft)
🌸 Diet: Nectar, insects, and spiders
🏡 Habitat: Temperate and montane forest, scrub, and gardens
🧬 Clade: Lesbiini “Coquettes and Firecrowns”
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)
Subspecies & Distribution
Monotypic species — no recognized subspecies.
Distribution: Found from central Chile south to Tierra del Fuego, and in adjacent southwestern Argentina (Neuquén to Santa Cruz). It occurs from sea level to 2,000 meters, inhabiting temperate rainforest, Nothofagus woodland, shrubland, and forest edge, as well as gardens and parks where flowering plants are abundant.
Species Overview
The Green-backed Firecrown is one of only two hummingbird species native to temperate South America — the other being the Juan Fernández Firecrown (Sephanoides fernandensis). Males are instantly recognizable by their fiery, iridescent orange-red crowns, which flare brilliantly when caught in sunlight. This species is highly adaptable, frequenting gardens, coastal thickets, and mountain slopes, even enduring Patagonian winters where few hummingbirds can survive.
Male Description:
The male has emerald-green upperparts, a fiery orange-red crown and forehead, and whitish underparts washed with green on the flanks. The tail is dark green to bronze, slightly forked, and the bill is short and straight.
Female Description:
The female lacks the male’s bright crown, appearing green above with whitish underparts, bronzy flanks, and green spotting on the throat and breast. Her tail is green with white tips, shorter and more rounded.
Habitat & Behavior:
Inhabits temperate forests and shrublands, especially Nothofagus (southern beech) forests, where it feeds on nectar from native plants such as Fuchsia magellanica and Embothrium coccineum (Chilean firebush). It also gleans insects and spiders for protein, especially in colder months. The Green-backed Firecrown is territorial and aggressive, chasing other hummingbirds and even larger birds from flowering trees. Despite its fiery display, it can tolerate cooler climates better than nearly any other hummingbird, remaining active even in snowfall.
Conservation Note:
Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, the Green-backed Firecrown remains common and stable across its broad range. It adapts well to disturbed habitats and suburban gardens. However, localized threats include deforestation of native Nothofagus forests and competition with introduced plant species. The species occurs in numerous protected areas, including Torres del Paine National Park, Nahuel Huapi National Park, and Tierra del Fuego National Park. Preservation of native flowering tree diversity is key to sustaining healthy populations across its southern range.
