Thalurania furcata
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph (Thalurania furcata) is a dazzling hummingbird species, renowned for its vivid iridescence and wide distribution across South America. Males are particularly striking, measuring 9-11 cm (3.5-4.3 in) in length and weighing 3.5-5.5 g, adorned with an iridescent violet or purple crown and throat, transitioning to an emerald-green back, a deep blue-black belly, and a signature deeply forked, iridescent blue-black tail. Females, while beautiful, exhibit strong sexual dimo...
This species primarily inhabits humid evergreen forests, forest edges, and secondary growth, favoring areas with abundant flowering plants. It can be found from sea level up to elevations of 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), occasionally higher.
Their primary diet consists of nectar, extracted from a wide variety of flowering plants using their long, slender bills while hovering. They supplement their nectar intake with small insects and spiders, which provide essential protein.
Fork-tailed Woodnymphs are highly active, diurnal birds, spending most daylight hours foraging and defending territories. Males typically establish and vigorously defend rich patches of flowers, chasing away rivals and even larger birds with rapid, darting flights accompanied by sharp calls. Thei...
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph boasts an incredibly extensive range across tropical South America, primarily east of the Andes. Its distribution spans from Colombia and Venezuela south through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, to northeastern Argentina. It is also found in the Guianas (Guyana,...
Least Concern
- The Fork-tailed Woodnymph has one of the widest distributions among all hummingbirds in the Neotropics, spanning much of South America. - Its dazzling iridescent colors are not due to pigments, but rather to the microscopic structure of its feathers, which diffract and reflect light. - Despite ...