Hylocharis chrysura (Shaw, 1812)

Taxonomy and Size

The gilded sapphire (Hylocharis chrysura, first described by Shaw in 1812) measures 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 in) in length and weighs 4 to 5 g (0.14 to 0.18 oz).

Bill Morphology

Both males and females have a medium-length, straight coral red bill with a black tip.

Adult Male Plumage

Adult males are mostly iridescent golden-green, with a pale rufous chin and a glittering golden-bronze tail.

Adult Female Plumage

Adult females are nearly identical in pattern to males, but are overall duller and have a grayish lower belly.

Juvenile Plumage

Juveniles match the appearance of adult females, with buff-colored fringes on the head feathers.

Geographic Distribution

This hummingbird species is distributed across northeastern to south-central Bolivia, nearly all of Paraguay and Uruguay, central and southeastern Brazil, and northern Argentina.

Habitat

It lives in open landscapes including savannah with scattered trees, forest edges and clearings, plantations, and gardens.

Elevation Range

It reaches its highest population densities at elevations between 400 and 800 m (1,300 and 2,600 ft). It is regularly found as low as 200 m (660 ft) and as high as 1,000 m (3,300 ft), and occurs locally even higher than that.