This article is about hummingbirds from the genus Topaza. For the Ruby Topaz, see Ruby-topaz Hummingbird

Ruby-topaz Hummingbird

The Ruby-topaz Hummingbird , commonly referred to simply as the Ruby Topaz, is a small bird that breeds in the Lesser Antilles and tropical northern South America from Colombia, Venezuela and the Guyanas, south to central Brazil and northern Bolivia; also from Colombia into southern Panama. It is...

.

The topazes are two species of hummingbird

Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...

s in the genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 Topaza. They are found in humid forests in the Amazon Basin

Amazon Basin

The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...

. Males are by far the largest hummingbirds in their range – the Giant Hummingbird

Giant Hummingbird

The Giant Hummingbird is the largest member of the hummingbird family, weighing 18-24 g and measuring approximately 21.5 cm in length. This is approximately the length same length as a European Starling or a Northern Cardinal, though the Giant Hummingbird is considerably lighter due to its...

 of the Andes

Andes

The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...

 is the only larger species in the family. Males have a total length of about 22 cm (8½ in), although this includes their elongated rectrices. They are very colourful, being mainly strongly iridescent golden and crimson with a black hood and a green throat. Females lack the elongated rectrices and have a mainly green plumage

Plumage

Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...

.

Species

It has been suggested that the Fiery Topaz should be considered a subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

 of the Crimson Topaz, but today all major authorities consider them as separate species.

• Crimson Topaz
  Crimson Topaz
  The Crimson Topaz is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela....
  
   (Topaza pella)
• Fiery Topaz
  Fiery Topaz
  The Fiery Topaz is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family.It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
  
  (Topaza pyra)