Patagona gigas
Silhouette: Chrissy McClarren & Andy Reago (original photograph) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
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 |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Hummingbird sighting in La Paz on a given day, based on 202 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 88 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Hummingbird in La Paz on a given day, against about 40% in March, the lowest month.
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.
Yes
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Giant Hummingbird sightings, La Paz has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Cochabamba (Bolivia, under 5%) and Arequipa (Peru, under 5%).
Same family: Trochilidae
The closest relatives of the Giant Hummingbird that you can see in La Paz (family Trochilidae, Hummingbirds) are Sparkling Violetear (about 60%) and Red-tailed Comet (about 40%), 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 La Paz (202 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.
