Birds · Apodiformes · Trochilidae

Crimson Topaz

Topaza pella

Least Concern

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

The crimson topaz is one of the largest and most spectacular hummingbirds in South America. The male has a velvety black head, an iridescent golden-green throat and an intensely crimson body, as well as two long crossed tail feathers. It always lives beside rivers and streams of Amazonia and the Guianas, and aggressively defends the flowering shrubs in its territory. It is hard to see despite its size because it keeps to the canopy over the water.

Weight

10 g – 14 g

Size

13 cm – 23 cm

Lifespan

8 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

RainforestFreshwaterNectarivore Diurnal Solitary Bird Rainforest Freshwater

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Fun facts

anatomíaIt is one of the largest hummingbirds in the Amazon, and its iridescent plumage shifts between red, gold and green with the angle of the light.
Its iridescence comes not from pigment but from the microstructure of the feathers: depending on the angle, the throat shifts from gold to green and the body from crimson to black within a few degrees.
It is one of the largest hummingbirds in the world, and even so its heart beats more than a thousand times a minute in flight and its wings beat around fifty times a second.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Flooded forest and riverside forest of Amazonia and the Guianas, always beside watercourses
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 16 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

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