Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Fork-tailed Woodnymph
Thalurania furcata
Fork-tailed Woodnymph (Thalurania furcata) — Hummingbirds of South America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph (Thalurania furcata) is a member of the Trochilidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 4.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Trochilidae Hummingbirds
- Genus Thalurania
- Species furcata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 4.2 g
- Diet
- Nectar-feeders
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Critically Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph (Thalurania furcata) belongs to the Trochilidae family of the order Apodiformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA widespread.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 4.2 g, with a wing length of about 5.5 cm and a tail of around 3.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 11.2 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Fork-tailed Woodnymph?
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph is a very small bird that weighs around 4.2 g.
Where does the Fork-tailed Woodnymph live?
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph is found across South America with a range covering SA widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Fork-tailed Woodnymph belong to?
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph (Thalurania furcata) belongs to the Trochilidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Fork-tailed Woodnymph eat?
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Does the Fork-tailed Woodnymph migrate?
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Fork-tailed Woodnymph endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Fork-tailed Woodnymph make?
1 real field recording of the Fork-tailed Woodnymph — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Fork-tailed Woodnymph's range?
The Fork-tailed Woodnymph has a mapped global range of about 11.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Trochilidae
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Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Guides for this bird
Best Hummingbird Feeders
How to choose a hummingbird feeder — the two main styles compared, the right sugar-water mix, and how to keep it clean so the birds stay safe. A decision framework with the hummingbird species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Trochilidae
A field guide to the Trochilidae family — 366 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.