en/sustainability/biodiversity/animals/birds/rufous-throated-sapphire/480

Biodiversity

< Back

Rufous Throated Sapphire
Hylocharis sapphirina | Gmelin, 1788

Characterization: Small species measuring about 9 cm in length. It has a red beak with a black tip, green plumage on its back, the bottom of its tail is brown, while its neck and chest a bright purplish-blue. The female has whitish lower parts and the under portion of its beak is cinnamon-colored.

Distribution: From South America to the Madeira River (Amazonas) and Belém (Pará), and in Paraguay and Argentina. In Brazil, from Alagoas to São Paulo.

Habitat: Forest, forest edge, and secondary forests. 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 and, secondarily, insects, spiders and other arthropods. 

Breeding: It lays 2 eggs in a tiny nest built exclusively by the female.

In the UFRA area: This bird species had a restricted spatial distribution, being present only in the wetlands with riparian forests and in restored native forests. It is a rare species in these areas, as it was seen only twice.