Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

Hummingbird in Spanish: Colibrí, Picaflor, Chuparrosa

Colibrí · noun (masculine) · koh-lee-BREE

Hummingbird in Spanish is colibrí, a masculine noun (el colibrí). Regional names include picaflor, chupaflor, and chuparrosa, with the plural colibríes.

Colibrí is koh-lee-BREE.

Un colibrí visita las flores del jardín cada tarde.

A hummingbird visits the garden flowers every afternoon.

Hummingbird in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for hummingbird, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

SpanishEnglishPronunciationRegion / Register
colibríhummingbirdkoh-lee-BREEDefault, widely understood
picaflorhummingbirdSouthern Cone
chuparrosahummingbirdMexico

How Native Speakers Use Colibrí

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

In the garden

Un colibrí visita las flores del jardín cada tarde.

A hummingbird visits the garden flowers every afternoon.

Colibrí is the standard word.

Fast wings

El picaflor bate las alas muy rápido.

The hummingbird beats its wings very fast.

Picaflor in the Southern Cone.

A feeder

Pusimos un bebedero para los colibríes.

We put out a feeder for the hummingbirds.

Colibríes is the plural.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Colibrí

Pluralizing colibrí wrong

Incorrect: los colibrices

Correct: los colibríes

Colibrí ends in a stressed í, so the traditional plural is colibríes (colibrís is also accepted), while colibrices is incorrect.

Assuming one name nationwide

Incorrect: Expecting colibrí everywhere.

Correct: Picaflor, chupaflor, and chuparrosa are regional variants.

Besides colibrí you'll hear picaflor in the Southern Cone and chuparrosa in Mexico, all meaning hummingbird.

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Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Colibrí used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using colibrí in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Un colibrí visita las flores del jardín cada tarde. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

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Common Questions About Hummingbird in Spanish

How do you say hummingbird in Spanish?
Hummingbird in Spanish is colibrí (koh-lee-BREE), a masculine noun, with regional names including picaflor, chupaflor, and chuparrosa.
Why are there so many names for it?
The hummingbird is native to the Americas, so many regions coined descriptive names like picaflor (flower-pecker) and chuparrosa (rose-sucker) alongside colibrí.
Is colibrí masculine or feminine?
It's masculine: el colibrí, and the plural is los colibríes or los colibrís.