Patagona gigas
Silhouette: Chrissy McClarren & Andy Reago (original photograph) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The southern giant hummingbird (Patagona gigas) is one of two species in the genus Patagona and the second largest hummingbird species, after its close relative the northern giant hummingbird. It and the sympatric northern giant hummingbird (P. peruviana) were once considered the same species, i.e., the giant hummingbird, though some researchers have already classified them as different species or subspecies in the past. Genomic analysis supports the separation of the two species which shows that they diverged between 2.1 and 3.4 million years ago, in the late Pliocene. Williamson and colleagues attributed the binomial name Patagona chaski to the northern giant hummingbird in 2024, but this taxon was already described as Patagona peruviana by Adolphe Boucard in 1893, so P. chaski is a junior synonym of P. peruviana.
Its mass is in the range of 17–31 g (0.60–1.09 oz), making it approximately twice as heavy as the next largest hummingbird. It has a wingspan of 21.5 cm (8.5 in), with a body length of 23 cm (9.1 in). The two subspecies are visually distinguishable. P. g. peruviana is yellowish brown overall and has white on the chin and throat, where P... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauca National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Paz | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 2 | Cochabamba | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 3 | Arequipa | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 4 | Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 5 | Santiago | 🇨🇱 Chile |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos | 🇧🇴 Bolivia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Hummingbird sighting in Arequipa on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 35th most-seen of the 61 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Hummingbird in Arequipa on a given day, against under 5% in July to April, the lowest months. Those are among Arequipa's driest months, with almost no rain against 45 mm in February.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Giant Hummingbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Giant Hummingbird sightings, Arequipa ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in La Paz (Bolivia, about 60%) and Cochabamba (Bolivia, under 5%).
Same family: Trochilidae
The closest relatives of the Giant Hummingbird 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 Giant Hummingbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Arequipa (34 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.
