Animal profile

Giant Hummingbird

Patagona gigas

AvesArid montane scrub, valleys and gardens along the AndesLeast Concern

Field profile

The giant hummingbird is by far the largest hummingbird, roughly the size of a starling. It feeds at cactus and Puya flowers along the dry Andean slopes. Its wingbeat is slow enough for the individual strokes to be visible.

Published field notes

2024-03-16

Giant Hummingbird

The largest hummingbird beats its wings slowly

At around 20 grams the giant hummingbird is roughly ten times the mass of the smallest hummingbird, and its wingbeat is slow enough to count, near 10 to 15 beats per second rather than the family's usual blur.

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