Birds · Apodiformes · Trochilidae

Volcano Hummingbird

Selasphorus flammula

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The volcano hummingbird is one of the smallest hummingbirds on the American continent and lives only on the summits of Costa Rica and western Panama, above 1,800 metres. The male has a gorget whose colour varies from population to population, from pink to purple. Its name refers to the volcanoes it lives on: Irazú, Poás, Turrialba and Chirripó.

Weight

2 g – 3 g

Size

7 cm – 8 cm

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Nectarivore

Feeds mainly on flower nectar.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

It weighs about two and a half grams, which places it among the smallest hummingbirds of mainland America, beaten only by a few Caribbean species.
Each volcanic massif has its own form, with the colour of the gorget varying from pink to purple between populations separated by a few kilometres of valley.
It lives on páramo where the temperature drops below zero at night, and goes into deep torpor every night to survive on minimal energy reserves.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Páramo, high-altitude scrub and cloud-forest clearings on the summits of Costa Rica and Panama
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 16 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selasphorus_flammula