Juan Fernández Firecrown - Juan Fernández Archipelago


Robinson Crusoe, Alejandro Selkirk, and Santa Clara Islands lie 670 kilometers off the Chilean coast and make up the archipelago of Juan Fernández. They were discovered by Juan Fernández, a Spanish explorer, in 1574. Pirates, taking advantage of the isolated location, used the islands as a refuge in the 16th and 17th century.

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Sephanoides fernandensis - The difference between the male and female Juan Fernández firecrown once had scientists thinking they were separate species. Female hummingbirds usually lack the colorful plumage found in males, but the coloration of a female firecrown is more prominent than the male’s. The male has an orange body, dark grey wings, and a small iridescent yellow crown. The female has a blueish-green upper body, a greyish-white lower body speckled with green and black, and a large iridescent crown of blue feathers.