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The Juan Fernandez Firecrown is a critically endangered hummingbird that is only found on Robinson Crusoe Island, near Chile. Measuring more than 4 inches long from beak to tail, the firecrown is hefty for a hummingbird. To conserve energy while feeding, the birds often hang upside down on flowers rather than hovering in place! As they feed, the hummingbirds transport pollen between forest flowers. Deforestation and invasive species have driven this bird close to extinction, but conservation organizations are actively working to save it and restore its natural habitat.
BirdNote®
The Juan Fernandez Firecrown
Written by Kyle Devilbiss, Brayden Davis, Eni Peters
This is BirdNote.
The Juan Fernández islands, off the coast of Chile, are home to many unique birds. Perhaps the most vibrant is a critically endangered hummingbird called the Juan Fernandez Firecrown.
[Firecrown Call]
The Firecrown’s lustrous feathers almost glow in the sunlight. The males’ bodies are a fiery orange and their crowns gleam in shades of cinnamon to golden yellow. Females wear cooler tones, with green backs, white bellies and their own gorgeous crowns of shimmering blues and purples.
Measuring more than 4 inches long from beak to tail, the Juan Fernandez Firecrown is hefty for a hummingbird. To conserve energy while feeding, the birds often hang upside down on flowers rather than hovering in place! But, when courting an eligible female, the males still give it their all with an impressive flight display.
[Firecrown Call]
Unfortunately, habitat loss and the spread of invasive species in the Juan Fernández islands threaten to extinguish the Firecrown’s brilliance. These hummingbirds are only found on Robinson Crusoe Island, where no more than a few thousand remain. Today, conservationists with Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge are working to restore the island’s native forests – and to ensure a bright future for the Juan Fernández Firecrown.
[Firecrown Call]
For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.
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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Firecrown Call ML63494551 recorded by Fabrice Schmitt, Firecrown Call ML650728191 and ML650727752 recorded by James (Jim) Holmes.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2026 BirdNote June 2026
Narrator: Ariana Remmel
ID# SEPFER-01-2026-06-12 SEPFER-01
Reference:
https://www.oikonos.org/species/juan-fernandez-firecrown
https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/juffir1/cur/introduction
Ariana Remmel
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