Hummingbirds of Peru

Map showing the location of Peru in South America

Many travelers to Peru enjoy visiting the Amazon rainforest, Machu Picchu, surfing, mountain biking, boating the waters of Lima, hiking, camping, and ... watching hummingbirds in one of the world's most megadiverse countries!

About Peru

The Republic of Peru is located in South America, bordered to the north by Ecuador and Colombia, to the east by Brazil, to the southeast by Bolivia, to the south by Chile, and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. The country has a population of over 34 million residents; the capital city is Lima.

Peru is well known for its natural beauty, and is one of the world’s ten most biologically diverse countries. The country has 14 national parks, 15 national reserves, 9 national sanctuaries and 11 reserved zones.

It is home to more than 1,800 species of birds. 60% of the land of Peru is in the Amazon Basin, and 74% of the land is covered by the Amazon rainforest itself.

Birdwatchers can choose from a number of respected birding tour operators, offering various options for ecotours, duration, locales, lodging, and transportation.

Enjoy your hummingbird explorations and tours in Peru!

Map of Peru

The Family of Hummingbirds

The hummingbird family is very large, with 366 species and 112 genera, mostly south of the United States. Hummingbirds live only in the Western Hemisphere, with nearly half the species living in the "equatorial belt" between 10 degrees north and south of the equator. Many species are found in Peru and adjacent areas of Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, and Ecuador.

Hummingbirds comprise the family Trochilidae, among the smallest of birds, with most species measuring in the 3"-5" range.

Numerous birding tour guide operators are available in Peru for birdwatchers, offering options that include transportation, lodging, duration, and locales, and lodging.

Hummingbird Species in Peru

Peru is home to about 124 species of hummingbirds, listed in the chart below in alphabetical order. Checkmarks indicate which species are found in Peru. Differing birding sources may report small variation in numbers of species. This database represents our best effort to create an accurate species listing.

Click the image below for a complete list of species in PDF format. Or click here to view the species list (PDF)

Photo Highlights of Hummingbirds Found in Peru

Long-tailed Sylph Hummingbird	Purple-crowned Fairy Hummingbird	White-necked Jacobin Hummingbird
Special thanks go out to the great nature photographers Alan Schmierer and Rolf Riethof for sharing many of their beautiful public-domain photographs of hummingbirds on this website via Flickr.