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Black Jacobin Florisuga fusca Scientific name definitions

Karl-Ludwig Schuchmann, Guy M. Kirwan, and Peter F. D. Boesman
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated April 18, 2016

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Introduction

The Black Jacobin is a striking black and white endemic of woodland habitats from eastern Brazil south to northeast Argentina in a fairly narrow band along the coast. Its sister species, the White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora), is the more colorful member of the genus, and the Black Jacobin appears to have converted all green or violet plumage on its sister species to black, making it quite conspicuous in flight. It feeds on the nectar of various native and introduced shrubs and trees and will occasionally occur in congregations of 50 or more individuals around particularly rich nectar resources.

Field Identification

12–13 cm; male 9 g, female 7 g. Sexes alike, but female averages smaller (mean wing 79 mm, tail 41 mm, versus 85 mm and 48 mm, respectively in male) (1); juvenile plumage has sometimes been erroneously attributed to adult female. Bill straight, black; back and underparts black; lower back , uppertail-coverts and upperwing-coverts shining bronze-olive; flanks white ; central tail feathers black, the rest white tipped black. Juvenile has broad cinnamon band on sides of throat ; feathers on back fringed chestnut; underparts black with varying number of brown spots, flanks and lower belly white ; tail black, except outermost feathers which are white .

Systematics History

Traditionally placed in a monospecific genus Melanotrochilus; inclusion in Florisuga based on voice, morphology, anatomy and reproductive behaviour. Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

E Brazil (mainly from Bahia S to Rio Grande do Sul) to SE Paraguay, NE Argentina and Uruguay.

Habitat

Frequently found in woodlands, gardens and mixed plantations with tall trees, from sea-level to 1400 m, with one record from the cerrado of Paraná (2) and others from N & NE Minas Gerais, Goiás and the Distrito Federal (3), most of them in winter, at which season (in Aug) the species has also been recorded in campos rupestres in C Minas Gerais (4). Forages from lower to upper strata and at forest edge.

Movement

Migratory. Appears in Rolândia, Paraná, SE Brazil Mar/Apr and leaves Sept; disappears from parts of Rio de Janeiro May/Jun and returns Oct; in Rio Grande do Sul (where the species is known as “beija-flor de inverno”, or the “winter hummingbird”) (5) large aggregations of 40–60 individuals observed Jul, in which month one (of the four) Paraguayan record made (6) (others were in Mar and Aug) (7). In addition to moving S in winter, much smaller numbers appear to disperse into parts of Cerrado biome, where recorded as far W as Goiás (in Jul) (3). Rare visitor to Iguazú National Park, Misiones, NE Argentina, with one (Oct) record from the adjacent Iguaçu National Park, Paraná, Brazil (8), and exceptionally is recorded as far S as N Buenous Aires province (9). Phenology of migration pattern poorly understood.

Diet and Foraging

Searches for nectar  at native and introduced shrubs and trees, including Mabea (10), Hibiscus, Eugenia, Eucalyptus, Erythrina, Calliandra, Dombeya, Schwartzia (11) and Pavonia (4), as well as some bromeliads, including those of the genus Vriesea (12) and Aechmea (13). In Rio Grande do Sul, in Jul, congregations of more than 50 individuals have been observed feeding on the pink flowers of Dombeya wallichii (Sterculiaceae), but also visits Tabebuia spp. (Bignoniaceae) in urban situations in this region at this season (5). Feeds on insects in the air, or gleans from leaves and spider webs, and sometimes has been recorded feeding in association with mixed-species flocks of other birds (14). F. fusca is one of the most territorial and dominant hummingbirds within its range, competing both with conspecifics and individuals of other species at food resources  (15).

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song a series of high-pitched hissing notes above 10 kHz, “szee..szee....szee..szee..szee....szee...”, delivered somewhat irregularly at rate of 2–3 notes/second. Calls include a short “tsik” or “chik”, and a short trill “tr-r-r”.

Breeding

Jul (16)–May. Nest  is cup-shaped, of fine plant fibre and cobweb attached to mid-rib of strong large horizontal leaf in shrub or tree (e.g. the exotic Dracaena fragrans) (16) at 1–4 m; nest height 65 mm, external diameter 62 mm, internal diameter 27 mm (1). Clutch size two; incubation  16–17 days, by female, which appears to perform a distraction display flight when considers nest to be threatened (16); chick  is black with some grey dorsal down; fledging period 22–25 days; young remain with female for 3–4 weeks. Up to two broods raised per year. First breeding in second year.

Not globally threatened. CITES II. Common resident throughout Brazilian range, and knowledge of winter range in Rio Grande do Sul much improved in recent years, where it is now known to regularly occur as far south as Alegrete (5), and more exceptionally Campanha Gaúcha, on the frontier with Uruguay (17). Occurs in Itatiaia National Park (Brazil) and many other protected areas within comparatively large range. Ready occupation of man-made habitats suggests that habitat loss is unlikely to be a problem. Trapping for wild bird trade was significant until 1970s but has now apparently ceased.

Distribution of the Black Jacobin - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Black Jacobin

Recommended Citation

Schuchmann, K.L., G. M. Kirwan, and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Black Jacobin (Florisuga fusca), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.blkjac1.01
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