Green-backed Firecrown
Sephanoides sephaniodes
The only hummingbird in most of southernmost South America. Fairly common to common in woodlands, forests, gardens, matorral, and flowering hedges and bushes in farmland of lowlands and foothills. Rather stocky with a straight, sharply pointed bill, and a white spot behind the eye. Often looks simply dark and green overall; male’s “firecrown” rarely catches the light, but forehead often looks rather bushy or plush; female has a green crown.
Identification
The green-backed firecrown is 10 to 10.5 cm (3.9 to 4.1 in) long. Males weigh about 5.5 g (0.19 oz) and females about 5 g (0.18 oz). The species is sexually dimorphic, with larger, short-billed males, and smaller, longer-billed females. Adults of both sexes have bronzy green upperparts, slaty green wings and tails, and pale buff underparts with black and green spots. Adult males have the eponymous iridescent red-yellow crown. Juveniles of both sexes have rusty feather edges on the head and their underparts have a cinnamon tone. Because the young are sexually monochromatic, it is difficult to assign a sex to them.
Taxonomy
The green-backed firecrown is monotypic. It shares its genus only with the Juan Fernandez firecrown (S. fernandensis). The specific epithet sephaniodes is sometimes misspelled sephanoides to match the genus.
- Scientific name
- Sephanoides sephaniodes
- Authority
- (Lesson, RP & Garnot, 1827)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Sephanoides
Range and habitat
The green-backed firecrown is found in Chile from south of the Atacama Region all the way to the southern tip of South America, in the adjoining areas of southern Argentina, and east across central Argentina to the Atlantic coast. (See Behavior:Movement below for details.) An isolated population is found on Robinson Crusoe and Alejandro Selkirk Islands of the Juan Fernández group, some 770 km (420 nmi) off the Chilean coast. It has been recorded as a vagrant on the Falkland Islands. The species inhabits forest edges, plantations of introduced Eucalyptus, clearings, thickets, and gardens. It is an important pollinator for the temperate rainforest regions of southern South America. In elevation it ranges from sea level to above 2,000 m (6,600 ft).
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Chinese Shortwing
Brachypteryx sinensis
Shy and skulky ground-dweller of hill forests with dense undergrowth; especially favors damp, dark areas near streams, fallen trunks, and accumulated debris. Male is slate-blue, with paler undertail and lower belly; also note his thin white eyebrow. Female is dark dirt-brown, with paler underparts and a faint rufous eyering. Difficult to see in tangled understory, but can be readily detected through the male’s song, a series of pure, short whistles followed by a quick jumble of notes, which sometimes include a buzz. Calls include a “tchik” and a rattling series.
Sind Sparrow
Passer pyrrhonotus
A small, strikingly patterned sparrow which is extremely similar to the House Sparrow. The male has a bright chestnut eye-stripe, a gray crown and hindneck, a black patch restricted to the chin, a large white shoulder patch, and a black bill. The female is like the female House Sparrow, but note the less contrasting face with grayer head and cheeks. Found in scrub and reedy habitat along rivers, canals, and other wetlands. Colonial, and also mixes with other sparrows and finches.
Least Auklet
Aethia pusilla
An abundant tiny auklet, only slightly larger than a sparrow. Occurs in large colonies around rocky shores during summer, and in smaller flocks further from the coast during winter. Summer plumage appears messy with numerous gray spots around the belly. Winter plumage is more contrastingly marked with flashing white belly and shoulders. Gives frequent, consistent squawks and squeaks at colonies. Readily separable from other auklets due to its whiter plumage and smaller size.
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