Hylocharis chrysura
The Gilded Sapphire (*Hylocharis chrysura*) is a dazzling medium-sized hummingbird, measuring approximately 8-9 cm (3.1-3.5 in) in length and weighing around 3-4 grams. Its most striking feature, particularly in males, is an iridescent golden-rufous tail that contrasts beautifully with its brilliant metallic green body and gorget, often appearing coppery in certain lights. A key identification mark is its straight, relatively short bill, which is bright red at the base and tipped with black, ...
Found primarily in open woodlands, forest edges, clearings, savannas, gardens, and urban parks, typically in lowland and foothill elevations up to about 1000 meters.
Primarily feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, supplemented significantly with small arthropods such as insects and spiders, which are hawked in flight or gleaned from foliage.
Gilded Sapphires are diurnal birds, most active at dawn and dusk, and roost solitarily in dense foliage at night. They are adept foragers, primarily hovering at flowers to extract nectar with their long, extendable tongues, but also frequently sallying out to hawk small insects in mid-air or glea...
The Gilded Sapphire is a resident species found throughout southeastern South America. Its breeding and year-round range extends across southern Brazil, including the states of São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul. It is also common throughout Paraguay and Uruguay, reaching in...
Least Concern
- The Gilded Sapphire's iridescent golden-rufous tail can shift dramatically in color depending on the angle of light, appearing coppery or even green at times. - Like all hummingbirds, it has an incredibly high metabolism, requiring it to feed almost constantly throughout the day to sustain its ...