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Giant Hummingbird
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Birds of Argentina
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The Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas) is the largest member of the hummingbird family, weighing 18-20 g (6/10 - 7/10 of an ounce) and measuring approximately 21.5 cm (8 in) in length. This is about the length of a European Starling or a Gray Catbird, though the Giant Hummingbird appears significantly smaller due to its long bill. It is the only member of the genus Patagona.
In Bolivia, the Giant Hummingbird is known in Quechua as "burro q'enti". The Spanish word "burro" refers to its dull, relatively unattractive plumage compared to other locally occurring hummingbirds (e.g. Red-tailed Comet).
Habitat
The Giant Hummingbird is found in rather arid open woodland and scrub between 2,000 and 4,300 meters above sea level in the Andes of South America, from far south-western Colombia to central Chile and Argentina.
Global range and population
The range of P. gigas is rather large, and its global Extent of Occurrence is estimated at 1,200,000 km2. Its global population is believed to be not less than 10,000 adults.
External links
Giant Hummingbird videos on the Internet Bird Collection
BirdLife Species Factsheet
- photographs of this and other hummingbird species
Giant Hummingbird photo gallery VIREO
Photo-Med Res; Article borderland-tours
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Giant Hummingbird
