The biggest hummingbird ever recorded is the giant hummingbird (Patagona gigas). This massive bird can reach lengths of 8-9 inches from bill to tail, making it the largest hummingbird species in the world. In this article, we will explore the key facts and background about the giant hummingbird, including its physical characteristics, habitat, diet, and other interesting details.
Physical Characteristics
Some key physical characteristics of the giant hummingbird include:
- Length: 8-9 inches long from bill to tail, making it larger than many small songbirds
- Wingspan: Up to 5.9 inches
- Weight: 18-24 grams, heavier than most other hummingbirds
- Bill: Around 2 inches long, thick and sharply pointed
- Plumage: Iridescent emerald green on the head, back, and parts of the belly, with grayish undersides
- Tail: Fairly long and forked, with outer tail feathers around 1.5 inches in length
- Legs and feet: Short but fairly sturdy compared to other hummingbirds
The giant hummingbird’s large size distinguishes it from all other hummingbird species. For example, the bee hummingbird, which is the smallest bird in the world, only reaches lengths of 2-2.5 inches – less than a third the size of a giant hummingbird.
Habitat and Range
The giant hummingbird occupies a relatively small range in South America. Its breeding habitat is limited to a small area of west Andean slopes in Ecuador and far northern Peru. Some key points about its habitat include:
- Elevation: Found between around 2,000 – 4,000 m above sea level
- Climate: Cool, humid cloud forest and paramo grassland habitat
- Range area: Only around 20,000 square km along the Andes in South America
- Countries: Native to Ecuador and Peru; occasional visitor to Colombia
Within its small range, the giant hummingbird occupies areas of lush, dense vegetation near streams and meadows. It does not adapt well to disturbed or open areas. Due to its tiny range, habitat loss from deforestation and agriculture poses risks to this species.
Diet
Like all hummingbirds, the giant hummingbird feeds on flower nectar and tiny insects or spiders. Some key points about its diet include:
- Nectar: Feeds from the flowers of large tropical plants and epiphytes
- Insects: Preys opportunistically on insects like mosquitoes, gnats, and flies
- Feeding method: Uses its long, specialized bill and tongue to drink nectar while hovering in front of flowers
- Amount of food: Up to twice its body weight in nectar per day, along with supplemental insects for protein
- Adaptations: Bill morphology adapted specifically for accessing nectar from certain flower shapes
The giant hummingbird sometimes expels nectar while feeding and itself becomes a nectar source for smaller birds called coquette hummingbirds. It has a very high metabolism and must feed frequently to fuel its rapid heart rate and fast hovering flight.
Behavior and Lifestyle
Some interesting facts about the giant hummingbird’s behavior:
- Solitary lifestyle
- Highly territorial; aggressively defends feeding areas
- Mostly inactive when not feeding, perching quietly for long periods
- Fast, humming flight achieved by rapid wing-flapping up to 12-15 times per second
- Alternates brief hovering bursts with short flights between flowers
- High altitude flyer capable of flying in thin air
- Migrates altitudinally based on seasonal flower/food availability
- Male performs elaborate courtship displays, diving and climbing repeatedly to attract females
The giant hummingbird does not adapt well to human disturbance. Its solitary nature and dependence on undisturbed habitat make it vulnerable to declining numbers where deforestation occurs.
Breeding and Nesting
The giant hummingbird breeds between December and April. Some key information about its reproduction includes:
- Nest: Female builds a small cup-shaped nest out of plant down, spider webs, and lichens on a low branch or tree fork
- Clutch: Just 2 eggs per clutch, tiny and white
- Incubation: Female incubates eggs for about 16-19 days
- Nestlings: Chicks hatch with eyes closed and almost no feathers, cared for by female
- Fledging: Chicks leave the nest at about 5 weeks old
- Broods: Female raises 1-2 broods per year
- Young: Female feeds the chicks with regurgitated food
- Lifespan: Typical longevity around 5 years in the wild
The giant hummingbird’s small clutch size and extended development time for chicks are traits common to larger bird species. Its short lifespan for a bird its size reflects the high metabolic demands of its hummingbird lifestyle.
Population and Conservation
The giant hummingbird has a relatively small population estimated between just 1,000 – 2,500 individuals. Its numbers today are declining due to the following threats:
- Habitat loss from deforestation, agriculture, grazing, and development
- Climate change may alter its high-altitude habitat
- Tourism development causes disturbance in some areas
Conservation actions needed:
- Protection of remaining habitat through reserves and national parks
- Reforestation efforts to restore native vegetation
- Ecotourism management to limit disruptions
- Monitoring of populations
The giant hummingbird’s limited range and specific habitat needs make it vulnerable to extinction. Ongoing conservation efforts are critical for protecting remaining populations.
Significance as the Largest Hummingbird
As the largest hummingbird species, the giant hummingbird is a unique and exceptionally interesting bird. Some reasons its great size is significant include:
- Its large size expanded hummingbirds’ niche by allowing them to access nectar from larger flowers.
- It demonstrates the incredible evolutionary adaptations of hummingbirds, which have developed the highest metabolism and most rapid wing-flapping of all birds.
- It captures the imagination of birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts interested in superlatives in the natural world.
- It highlights the incredible biodiversity found in South America and the Andean region.
- It brings attention to endangered tropical mountain habitats which require conservation efforts.
For all these reasons, the giant hummingbird provides insights into evolution, biomechanics, and ecology while also serving as an inspiring example of nature’s creativity. Its reign as the largest hummingbird is likely to continue as an enduring record.
Conclusion
In summary, the giant hummingbird’s massive size sets it apart as a unique outlier among hundreds of diminutive hummingbird species. This giant of the hummingbird world has adapted to survive and thrive in cool mountainous habitats of the northern Andes by evolving greater body mass and wing power to match the demands of its environment. While still exhibiting classic hummingbird traits like nectar-feeding, hyperactive flight, and elaborate courtship displays, the giant hummingbird represents the upper limits of what’s possible for these most diminutive of birds. Its endangered status and severely limited range also make it a focus of conservation concern. For all these reasons, the giant hummingbird retains its title as the biggest and most spectacular hummingbird on Earth.