en/sustainability/biodiversity/animals/birds/gilded-sapphire/477

Biodiversity

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Gilded Sapphire
Hylocharis chrysura | Shaw, 1812

Characterization: Small species measuring about 10.5cm in length. It has red, black-tipped beak and a goldish-green color with a golden, intensely shiny green tail.

Distribution: From Minas Gerais to Mato Grosso, Goiás and Rio Grande do Sul, and also in Uruguay and Bolivia.

Habitat: Forest, savanna, secondary forest and even in backyards; it is often seen in tree canopies.

Habits: Diurnal and solitary species, very aggressive during its most active hours. It is among the very few birds that have the ability to hibernate, as do all other species of hummingbirds.

Diet: Mainly nectar.

Breeding: It lays 2 eggs in a solid bowl-shaped nest made exclusively by the female with a variety of materials (leaves, lichens, mosses).

In the UFRA area: This species is considered rare at the studied farms, as it was reported only three times. Its spatial distribution was restricted to organic sugarcane fields, native forests, and fields in spontaneous regeneration.