Fiery Topaz

Topaza pyra

Close cousin to the Crimson Topaz. Blazes orange-red through Amazonian forest like an ember with wings.

Population: No numeric global estimate published; BirdLife/IUCN describe the species as rare within a very large range (~2.4 million km²), with a suspected but unquantified decline (population reduction estimated under 5%, linked to ~1.7% forest loss in its range over the past decade) — not meeting thresholds for a threatened listing.
Habitat: Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest from sea level to about 500 m elevation, favoring forest edges, clearings, and river/stream banks in the canopy of the Amazon Basin.
Fun fact: The genus Topaza (Fiery Topaz T. pyra and Crimson Topaz T. pella), together with sister genus Florisuga, represents one of the most ancient lineages within the hummingbird family Trochilidae; males carry elongated, iridescent central tail feathers absent in the all-green females, and Topaza hummingbirds are among the largest in the family, surpassed only by the Giant Hummingbird.
Range: Amazon Basin lowlands of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Diet: Primarily nectar from flowers, flowering vines, and epiphytes in the forest canopy; also takes small insects (likely for protein, as in other hummingbirds).
Size: 0.22 m

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