The Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas) is the largest member of the hummingbird family, weighing 18-20 g (6/10 - 7/10 of an ounce). It measures eight and a half inches in length (~21.5cm), which is about the length of a European Starling or a Gray Catbird. It is the only member of the genus Patagona.
The Giant Hummingbird is found between 2,000 and 3,800 meters (6,500-11,000 feet) above sea level in the Andes of South America, from northern Ecuador to central Chile and Argentina.
In Bolivia, the Giant Hummingbird is known in Quechua as "burro q'enti". The Spanish word "burro" refers to its dull, relatively unattractive plumage compared to other locally occurring hummingbirds (e.g. Red-tailed Comet).