Oreotrochilus estella
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The Andean hillstar (Oreotrochilus estella) is a species of hummingbird in the "coquettes", tribe Lesbiini of subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Subspecies bolivianus has been variously treated as a separate species and as indistinguishable from the nominate and therefore not a subspecies; these treatments have not been accepted by current taxomomies. Until 2019 what is now the green-headed hillstar (O. stolzmanni) was considered a third subspecies of the Andean. The white-sided hillstar (O. leucopleurus) has been suggested as another subspecies of the Andean rather than a full species but that treatment has also not been accepted.
The Andean hillstar is 13 to 15 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in) long. Males weigh about 8.8 g (0.31 oz) and females about 8.0 g (0.28 oz). Adults have a medium length slightly decurved black bill. The adult male of the nominate subspecies has drab brown upperparts. It has a shiny green gorget with a black border that separates it from the white breast and belly. The belly has a... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauca National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Andean Hillstar sighting in Arequipa on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 56th most-seen of the 61 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Andean Hillstar in Arequipa on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months. That is one of Arequipa's driest months, with almost no rain against 45 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Andean Hillstar sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Andean Hillstar sightings, Arequipa ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in La Paz (Bolivia, under 5%).
Same family: Trochilidae
The closest relatives of the Andean Hillstar that you can see in Arequipa (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Oasis Hummingbird (about 80%), Peruvian Sheartail (about 50%) and Purple-collared Woodstar (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Andean Hillstar is recorded against all the birds logged in Arequipa (19 verified sightings), 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.
