Ramphomicron microrhynchum
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The purple-backed thornbill (Ramphomicron microrhynchum) is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The purple-backed thornbill shares its genus with the black-backed thornbill (R. dorsale). It has these four subspecies:
The purple-backed thornbill is 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 in) long and weighs about 3.5 g (0.12 oz). Both sexes have a black bill, the shortest of any hummingbird. Males of the nominate subspecies have metallic violet-purple upperparts with a white spot behind the eye. Their gorget is iridescent golden green, the underparts bronzy green, and the undertail coverts coppery with tawny fringes. The tail is moderately long, forked, and dark purple. Nominate females have shining green upperparts, and like the male, a white spot behind the eye. Their underparts are white with green dots except on the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Purple-backed Thornbill sighting in Chingaza National Natural Park on a given day, based on 220 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 40th most-seen of the 258 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to February
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Purple-backed Thornbill in Chingaza National Natural Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, the lowest month.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Purple-backed Thornbill sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Purple-backed Thornbill sightings, Chingaza National Natural Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Los Nevados National Natural Park (Colombia, about 10%) and Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (Colombia, under 5%).
Same family: Trochilidae
The closest relatives of the Purple-backed Thornbill that you can see in Chingaza National Natural Park (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Tyrian Metaltail (about 60%), Glowing Puffleg (about 50%) and Bronze-tailed Thornbill (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Purple-backed Thornbill is recorded against all the birds logged in Chingaza National Natural Park (220 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
