Amazilia Hummingbird

This is a medium-sized member of the Trochilidae family, characterized by a total body length of 9 to 11 centimeters and a body mass ranging from 4 to 6.5 grams. It features a nearly straight, slender bill of a distinctive coral-red to pinkish-red color with a contrasting black tip. The dorsal plumage is primarily bronze-green, which transitions into a rich copper-rufous tone on the rump. Its throat and the sides of its neck glisten with a brilliant iridescent emerald-green patch, while the breast and belly exhibit a soft, diagnostic cinnamon-buff or pale rufous coloration. The tail feathers are predominantly reddish-rufous with bronze-green central rectrices. Sexual dimorphism is minimal, though females tend to display slightly duller colors on the underparts and may have a more restricted green throat patch than adult males of the species Amazilis amazilia.

Geographical distribution: It is endemic to the Pacific slope of western South America. Its geographic range extends primarily through western Ecuador (from Esmeraldas province southward) and along almost the entire coastal strip of Peru, reaching as far south as the Ica department. Additionally, isolated populations inhabit several dry inter-Andean valleys, most notably within the Marañón River basin, where they have successfully adapted to the semi-arid rain shadow conditions of these mountain systems.

Habitat: It occupies a diverse array of arid to semi-arid ecosystems, showing a remarkable tolerance for human-altered landscapes. Typical habitats include xerophytic scrublands, equatorial dry forests, deciduous woodland edges, coastal deserts with sparse vegetation, and agricultural fields. It has also become a highly familiar resident in suburban gardens, public parks, and orchards within major coastal cities like Lima and Guayaquil. Its altitudinal range spans from sea level up to approximately 2500 meters, occasionally reaching up to 3000 meters in dry inter-Andean valleys.

Feeding: It is predominantly nectarivorous, supplementing its energetic diet with small arthropods. It feeds on the nectar of a wide variety of native and introduced flowering plants, showing a marked preference for tubular corollas in shades of red, orange, and yellow. Common food sources belong to families such as Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Bromeliaceae, Cactaceae, and Acanthaceae. To satisfy its nutritional requirements for protein, lipids, and minerals, it actively captures small flying insects mid-air via hawking or gleans tiny spiders and insects directly from the undersides of leaves and spiderwebs.

Behavior: It is well known for its highly territorial, aggressive, and energetic temperament. It aggressively defends high-quality floral resources against conspecifics, other hummingbird species, larger birds, and even large insect competitors like sphinx moths. It performs aerial displays of aggression and emits high-pitched, buzzy vocalizations to signal ownership of its feeding territories. Its flight is exceptionally agile and precise, characterized by rapid wingbeats that allow it to hover stationary, fly backward, and execute sudden lateral maneuvers with ease.

Nesting: Breeding occurs throughout much of the year, often peaking following local rainfall events that stimulate abundant flowering. The female alone is responsible for nest construction, incubation, and rearing the young. The nest is a small, compact, cup-shaped structure made of fine plant down, cotton fibers, and spider silk, which provides structural elasticity. The exterior is camouflaged with bits of lichens and bark. It is typically positioned in a fork of a thin branch in a low shrub or tree, usually 1 to 5 meters above the ground. The clutch size consists of two white eggs. Incubation lasts between 16 and 19 days, and the altricial chicks are fed via regurgitation, remaining in the nest for 20 to 25 days before fledging.

Conservation status: It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This classification is supported by its extensive distribution range, stable population trends, and its outstanding ability to adapt to anthropogenic environments, which buffers the species against the negative impacts of natural habitat deforestation.