Florisuga fusca
The Black Jacobin (Florisuga fusca) is a striking, medium-sized hummingbird found in southeastern South America, measuring 11–12 cm (4.3–4.7 in) in length and weighing 7–9 g (0.25–0.32 oz). Both sexes exhibit a distinctive monomorphic plumage, characterized by an entirely sooty black to dark brownish-black body with a small yet conspicuous white postocular spot. Its most remarkable field mark is the tail: the central pair of feathers are dark, while the outer four on each side are pure white,...
Inhabits forest edges, clearings, plantations, parks, and secondary growth within humid and semi-humid subtropical and tropical forests, from sea level up to approximately 1,800 meters in elevation.
Primarily nectar from a diverse array of flowering plants; supplements its diet with small insects and spiders, caught by gleaning from foliage or hawking in mid-air.
Primarily diurnal, the Black Jacobin is highly active from dawn to dusk, constantly foraging or engaging in territorial defense. It feeds on nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants, often preferring red or orange tubular blossoms, and also gleans small insects and spiders from foliage or c...
The Black Jacobin is a resident, non-migratory species widely distributed across southeastern South America. Its core range extends through southeastern Brazil, from Bahia southwards through Minas Gerais and São Paulo states to Rio Grande do Sul. It is also found in eastern Paraguay, northeastern...
Least Concern
- The "Jacobin" in its name refers to the Dominican friars, whose dark habits resembled the bird's predominantly black plumage. - Unlike many hummingbird species, the male and female Black Jacobin have nearly identical plumage, a trait known as monomorphism. - Its brilliant white outer tail feath...