Black-eared Fairy
Heliothryx auritus
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderApodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)
- FamilyTrochilidae (Hummingbirds)
- GenusHeliothryx (Fairies)
- SpeciesHeliothryx auritus (Black-eared Fairy)
About the Black-eared Fairy
The black-eared fairy (Heliothryx auritus) is a species of hummingbird in the subfamily Polytminae, the mangoes. It is found in every mainland South American country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The black-eared fairy was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other hummingbirds in the genus Trochilus and coined the binomial name Trochilus auritus. Gmelin based his description on "Le grand oiseau-mouche de Cayenne" that had been described by Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 and "L'oiseau-mouche à oreilles" that had been described by the Comte de Buffon in 1779. The black-eared fairy is now placed with the purple-crowned fairy in the genus Heliothryx that was introduced in 1831 by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek hēlios meaning "sun" with thrix meaning "hair". The specific epithet auritus is Latin meaning "-eared". The type locality is Cayenne, French Guiana.
Three subspecies are recognised: H. a. auritus (Gmelin, JF, 1788) – southeast Colombia and east Ecuador through Venezuela... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Black-eared Fairy in Madidi National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Madidi National Park
Fork-tailed Woodnymph
Thalurania furcata
Gray-breasted Sabrewing
Campylopterus largipennis
Many-spotted Hummingbird
Taphrospilus hypostictus
Great-billed Hermit
Phaethornis malaris
Reddish Hermit
Phaethornis ruber
White-necked Jacobin
Florisuga mellivora
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Klais guimeti
White-chinned Sapphire
Chlorestes cyanus
Long-billed Starthroat
Heliomaster longirostris
Golden-tailed Sapphire
Chrysuronia oenone
Blue-tailed Emerald
Chlorostilbon mellisugus
White-browed Hermit
Phaethornis stuarti
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brownsberg Nature Park | 🇸🇷 Suriname | |
| 2 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Canaima National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 4 | Madidi National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 5 | Anavilhanas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 7 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 8 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 9 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 10 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 11 | Cordillera Azul National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 12 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 13 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 14 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 15 | Chapada dos Guimarães National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-eared Fairy in Madidi National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-eared Fairy sighting in Madidi National Park, based on 41 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black-eared Fairy in Madidi National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Black-eared Fairy in Madidi National Park in our monthly data.