What is the heaviest hummingbird?

Hummingbirds are some of the smallest and lightest birds in the world, but even among hummingbirds there are differences in size and weight. The heaviest hummingbird species is the Giant Hummingbird, found in South America. In this article, we’ll look at the key facts about the world’s heaviest hummingbirds and how they compare to other hummingbird species.

Key Facts About the Giant Hummingbird

Here are some quick facts about the Giant Hummingbird:

• Scientific name: Patagona gigas
• Average length: 8.6 inches long
• Average weight: 24 grams (0.85 oz)
• Wingspan: 4.7 to 5.9 inches
• Normal heart rate: up to 1,260 beats per minute (while resting)
• Only species in the Patagona genus
• Native to: Ecuador and Chile
• Habitats: mountains and valleys near deserts
• Diet: nectar, pollen, insects
• Distinguishing features: largest species of hummingbird, dull bronze plumage, whitish underside

As these key facts illustrate, the Giant Hummingbird is aptly named, being the largest hummingbird species in the world. Its most distinctive feature is its size.

Detailed Size and Weight

Just how big and heavy is the Giant Hummingbird compared to other hummingbird species? Here are some more details:

• Length: 8.6 inches on average, with a range of 8.3 – 9.1 inches
• Wingspan: 4.7 – 5.9 inches
• Weight: averages 24 grams, or 0.85 ounces
• Females tend to be larger and heavier than males

To put that in perspective, that’s around 10-20% larger in length and twice as heavy as the next largest hummingbird species. For example, the White-necked Jacobin averages 5.5 inches long and 12 grams in weight.

The Giant Hummingbird’s wingspan is also proportionally larger than other species. This helps provide the lift needed to allow this heavier bird to hover and fly like other smaller hummingbirds.

Weight Range

Like all bird species, there is a range of weights for giant hummingbirds based on factors like sex, age, habitat and diet. Here are some examples of weight ranges:

• Male giant hummingbirds: 20-23 g (0.7 – 0.81 oz)
• Female giant hummingbirds: 23-28 g (0.81 – 0.99 oz)
• Juveniles, before first molt: 5-10 g (0.18 – 0.35 oz)
• Low end of range in poor habitat: 19-20 g (0.67 – 0.7 oz)
• High end in optimal habitat: 26-28 g (0.92 – 0.99 oz)

As these ranges show, the giant hummingbird can weigh anywhere from 5 grams as a juvenile up to 28 grams at the upper end of the adult range for a large healthy female.

How the Giant Hummingbird Compares to Other Species

To fully appreciate the Giant Hummingbird’s large size, it helps to see how they directly compare to some other hummingbird species:

As this table illustrates, the Giant Hummingbird dwarfs other species. It’s over twice as long and 4-5 times as heavy as a Ruby-throated Hummingbird or Bee Hummingbird.

Percentage Difference in Size

Another way to visualize the size difference is by looking at the percentage increase in the Giant Hummingbird’s size compared to other species:

• 50% longer than a White-necked Jacobin
• 155% longer than a Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• 290% longer than a Bee Hummingbird

• 100% heavier than a White-necked Jacobin
• 250% heavier than a Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• 1150% heavier than a Bee Hummingbird

This puts the Giant Hummingbird in a size class of its own compared to most other hummingbirds. The only species that comes close is the White-necked Jacobin.

Features That Support the Giant Hummingbird’s Size

Given its exceptionally large size, the Giant Hummingbird has evolved some special features to support its weight and maintain its hummingbird characteristics:

• Proportionally larger wings: With a 4.7 – 5.9 inch wingspan, the Giant Hummingbird’s wings are broad and rounded to generate enough lift.
• Sturdy, thick bill: The extra-long, strong bill is an adaptation for its flower preferences.
• Large feet and legs: Robust legs and feet provide stability and strength for perching and takeoff.
• Higher oxygen needs: Their enlarged body and muscles require more oxygen intake than smaller hummingbirds.
• Lower wingbeat rate: They beat their wings around 12-15 times per second compared to 80 times for smaller species.
• Slower metabolism: Their metabolism is about 25% slower than smaller hummingbirds to conserve energy.

These specializations allow the Giant Hummingbird to thrive at its much larger size compared to most other hummingbird species.

Habitat and Diet of Giant Hummingbirds

In addition to their physical features, certain habitat and dietary factors also likely contribute to the Giant Hummingbird’s large size:

• High altitude habitat: They thrive in the Andes mountains at elevations from 1,300 – 4,600 meters. The lower oxygen levels at altitude may select for larger body size.
• Low competition: Few other hummingbird species overlap with the giant hummingbird’s range, reducing competition for food sources.
• Rich food sources: They can access abundant blossoms and arthropods in the valleys and mountains of their range.

With less interspecies competition and plentiful food, the Giant Hummingbird can successfully sustain its much larger body mass in its specialized high elevation habitat.

Unique Adaptations of Giant Hummingbirds

Giant Hummingbirds possess some distinct evolutionary adaptations related to their size:

• Lower wingbeat frequency: They beat their wings around 12-15 times per second compared to 50 for bees and 80 for other hummingbirds. The lower rate conserves energy.
• Slower metabolism: Their metabolism is about 25% slower than smaller hummingbirds, also conserving calories.
• Larger hearts and higher hemoglobin levels: These adaptations deliver oxygen more efficiently to their enlarged body mass.
• Stronger legs and thicker bones: Their legs are disproportionately long and strong to provide support during perching and take-off of their heavier body.
• Long, specialized tongue: Their extended tongue allows them to feed on giant mountain flowers with deep corollas.

These unique evolutionary adaptations have enabled Giant Hummingbirds to take advantage of an ecological niche as the largest and heaviest species of hummingbird.

Comparison of Giant Hummingbird Nests and Eggs

Not only are Giant Hummingbirds larger in body size, but they also build proportionally larger nests and lay larger eggs compared to other hummingbird species:

As seen above, Giant Hummingbird nests can be twice as wide and tall compared to other species. Their eggs are also twice the size and width of smaller hummingbirds.

Role of Sexual Selection on Size

Sexual selection may also play a role in the Giant Hummingbird’s large size compared to other species. Some key points:

• Females are larger than males, suggesting female preference for large size.
• Males establish lekking territories to display for females.
• Females choosing larger mates gain survival advantages for their offspring.
• Larger males may be better able to defend energy-rich territories.

The preferences of female Giant Hummingbirds for large males appear to have driven the evolution of this single species towards a much larger size than other hummingbirds over time.

Role of Diet and Energy Conservation

Access to abundant food sources and adaptations to conserve energy have also facilitated the Giant Hummingbird’s exceptionally large size:

• They feed on plentiful blossoms and arthropods in their mountain habitat.
• Larger size provides ability to feed on more flowers unavailable to smaller species.
• Lower metabolism and wingbeat rate conserves calories.
• Enlarged body mass provides more fat storage as energy reserves.
• Thicker bill is adaptive for accessing more robust blossoms.
• Limited competition from only one other much smaller hummingbird species in its habitat.

With abundant food access and energy conservation adaptations, the Giant Hummingbird has sufficient caloric resources to maintain its much heavier body mass.

Importance of Altitude Adaptations

Living at high elevations has also likely influenced the Giant Hummingbird’s larger size:

• Found between 1,300 – 4,600 meters elevation in the Andes.
• Larger body mass helps conserve heat in cold temperatures.
• Enlarged heart and higher hemoglobin aids oxygen delivery in thin air.
• Limited competition from only one other high elevation hummingbird species.
• Lower oxygen levels may select for larger bodied individuals over time.
• Few predators and ample blossoms provide abundant food supply.

These numerous adaptations to high altitude environments have enabled the Giant Hummingbird lineage to follow an evolutionary path leading to much larger body size in the mountains of South America.

Comparison of Length to Other Birds

While the Giant Hummingbird is the largest hummingbird, it is still a relatively small bird compared to many other species. Here is how its length compares:

While giant hummingbirds are giants among hummingbird species, they are still tiny compared to the largest bird species on Earth. Nonetheless, their large size and unique adaptations make them special in the hummingbird world.

Summary and Conclusion

In summary, the Giant Hummingbird is the largest and heaviest species of hummingbird in the world. Key facts include:

• It can reach 9 inches long and weigh up to 28 grams.
• It’s over 2x as long and 5x as heavy as the smallest hummingbird species.
• Special adaptations like enlarged wings and feet support its weight.
• Slow metabolism and wingbeats conserve energy for its bulk.
• Sexual selection and altitude adaptations facilitated its larger size.
• It is still a very small bird compared to ostriches and herons.

So in answer to the question “What is the heaviest hummingbird?”, there is a clear giant among this family of tiny birds – the Giant Hummingbird of South America. Its large size sets it apart from all other hummingbirds in remarkable ways.