Birds · Apodiformes · Trochilidae

Green-backed Firecrown

Sephanoides sephaniodes

Least Concern

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

The green-backed firecrown — known in Spanish as picaflor chico, picaflor rubí, pingarita, simply picaflor, or colibrí austral — is an apodiform bird of the family Trochilidae, one of the two belonging to the genus Sephanoides. It is the most southerly hummingbird in the Americas, native to Chile and Argentina. It is one of eleven hummingbird species in Chile, and an important bird for indigenous cultures, especially at the southern tip of the American continent. It lives in woodland with flowering areas, near water and in gardens, where it feeds on nectar and insects.

Weight

5 g – 6 g

Size

10 cm – 12 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

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Fun facts

It is the most southerly hummingbird on the planet: there are populations in Tierra del Fuego, beyond 54 degrees south, in forests that are covered in snow in winter.
It is the keystone of pollination in the Valdivian forest: it pollinates close to twenty per cent of the ecosystem's woody plants, and several plant species depend on it alone in order to reproduce.
It migrates seasonally: the southern populations move towards northern Chile in winter, a migratory movement uncommon among hummingbirds.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Valdivian temperate rainforest, scrub and gardens of southern Chile and Argentina
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 15 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

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