Largest hummingbird

The largest species of hummingbird is the giant hummingbird Patagona gigas. The only member of its genus, it weighs 18–24 g. This makes it almost twice as heavy as the next heaviest hummingbird species, and means that it is roughly the same size as a European starling or North American cardinal. It is native to much of the extreme western edge of South America, on both sides of the Andes, its range taking in Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile.

The giant hummingbird measures 23 cm in length, from beak tip to tail tip, and sports a wingspan of approximately 21.5 cm.

The sword-billed hummingbird Ensifera ensifera is the longest hummingbird. However, because almost half of its length is accounted for by its exceptionally long, slender beak, its body weight is only 10–15 g, making it much lighter than the giant hummingbird.