Hummingbirds are well known for their iridescent plumage that shimmers in the sunlight. However, some species exhibit a coppery or orangey hue rather than the more typical emerald, sapphire, and ruby tones. These copper colored hummingbirds stand out against the more common rainbow-bright varieties.
What hummingbird species have copper plumage?
There are several hummingbird species across the Americas that display coppery or orangey plumage rather than the iridescent greens, blues, and other colors more typical of these nimble nectar feeders. Some of the most notable copper colored hummingbird species include:
- Copper-rumped Hummingbird – As the name suggests, these South American hummingbirds have coppery reddish patches on their rumps and tails. Their throats are an iridescent blue-green.
- Flame-colored Tanager – Despite the name, this Amazonian species is classified as a hummingbird. True to their name, they have vivid reddish-orange plumage covering their bodies.
- Sepia-capped Hummingbird – The males of this Central American species have grayish heads, coppery reddish backs/wings, and bellies that range from orangey red to yellowish.
- Vermilion Hummingbird – Males of this Arizona native have bright reddish plumage on their heads, backs, tails, and undersides. Their throats are glittery orange.
- Red-billed Streamertail – One of Jamaica’s three endemic hummingbird species, these hummingbirds have mostly green plumage but sport coppery orange tail streamers on the males.
The vibrant orange, coppery, and red hues of these species provide a striking contrast to the electric greens, blues, violets, and other colors that adorn many hummingbird species. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most brilliant copper colored hummingbirds.
Copper-rumped Hummingbird
The copper-rumped hummingbird (Amazilia tobaci) is named for the distinct reddish copper patch found on the lower backs and rumps of the males. Native to South America, this species is found mainly east of the Andes in Columbia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and the Guianas.
Males have velvety black heads and throats that dazzle with bright iridescent emerald and teal colors when caught in the light. Their backs and wings are a deep green. Their coppery rump patches contrast sharply against the green. Their bellies are grayish white.
Females lack the male’s bright colors and are overall olive green above and pale gray below with small dark spots peppering their throats. The copper rump patch is duller than the male’s vivid color. Though not as showy, the female’s white-tipped tail feathers help identify the species.
Copper-rumped hummingbirds inhabit tropical and subtropical forests, second growth, and plantation edge habitats. They feed on nectar taken from a variety of brightly colored tropical flowers, including shrubs, vines, and epiphytes. Spider webs and small insects round out their diet.
Key Facts
- Length: 3.5 in
- Wingspan: 4.3 in
- Weight: 0.1-0.2 oz
- Lifespan: 5-6 years
- Habitat: Forest and plantation edge
- Diet: Nectar, insects
- Range: South America
Flame-colored Tanager
Despite its name, the flame-colored tanager (Piranga bidentata) is actually classified as a hummingbird. This aptly named bird is adorned in fiery orange-red plumage, with males exhibiting the most brilliant reddish hue. They range throughout the Amazon in northern Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil.
The flame-colored tanager inhabits humid tropical forests. The species seems to prefer palm swamps and other densely vegetated wetland habitats within the rainforest ecosystem. They regularly visit nectar-rich flowers of banana relatives (Heliconiaceae family) and rainforest understory plants.
To catch insects, these hummingbirds may hawk flying bugs similar to flycatchers. But unlike many hummingbird species, they do not aggressively defend feeding territories. They have been observed feeding calmly in close proximity to each other.
Key Facts
- Length: 4.3-4.7 in
- Wingspan: 2.8-3.1 in
- Weight: 0.1-0.2 oz
- Lifespan: Unknown
- Habitat: Tropical rainforest
- Diet: Nectar, insects
- Range: Amazon Basin
Sepia-capped Hummingbird
The sepia-capped hummingbird (Aphantochroa cirrochloris) is aptly named for its distinctive sepia toned head in the males of the species. They range from southern Mexico through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and northern Nicaragua in humid broadleaf and pine-oak forests at medium elevations.
Males are grayish brown on the head and upper breast, with an orangey copper back and bright green wings. Their bellies range from orangey red to bright yellow. Females are overall green with a pale belly. Juveniles resemble adult females but with dark bill tips.
In addition to nectar, these hummingbirds supplement their diet with small spiders and insects. They aggressively defend flowering food sources in their territory against other hummingbirds and perching birds.
Key Facts
- Length: 3.5-3.9 in
- Wingspan: 4.3 in
- Weight: 0.1-0.12 oz
- Lifespan: Unknown
- Habitat: Broadleaf & pine forest
- Diet: Nectar, insects
- Range: Southern Mexico to Nicaragua
Vermilion Hummingbird
One of the most vividly colored hummingbirds in North America, the vermilion hummingbird (Calypte costae) is named for the brilliant reddish-orange vermilion coloring of the males. It is one of just two hummingbird species endemic to the United States.
Males are a flashy combination of bright reddish plumage on the head, back, wings, and underside, with an iridescent orange throat that may appear red in certain lights. Females and juveniles are mostly green above with pale gray underneath, with green markings on the throat.
Found in canyon and forest habitats of Arizona and New Mexico, they feed on nectar and small insects. Aggressive around feeders, they will boldly chase away larger birds. They breed relatively early, with nesting getting underway in late winter.
Key Facts
- Length: 2.8-3.5 in
- Wingspan: 4.3 in
- Weight: 0.1-0.12 oz
- Lifespan: 3-4 years
- Habitat: Canyon, oak & pine forest
- Diet: Nectar, insects
- Range: Arizona & New Mexico
Red-billed Streamertail
The red-billed streamertail (Trochilus polytmus) is one of three hummingbird species endemic to the island of Jamaica. As the name suggests, males of this species have lengthy, streamer-like tail feathers that can reach up to 5 inches long. Their tail streamers shimmer with a coppery orange iridescence.
Males have a mostly green head and body with a decurved red bill, blue-tinged throat with lateral purple streaks, and those elongate coppery tail streamers. Females lack the long tail and have a shorter straight bill and white tips on the tail feathers.
These hummingbirds favor forest edge and tropical gardens rich with nectar-filled flowers. They utilize a wide range of blooms and do not depend exclusively on any one nectar source.
Key Facts
- Length: 4-4.5 in (males)
- Wingspan: 2.2-2.6 in
- Weight: 0.12-0.18 oz
- Lifespan: 7-9 years
- Habitat: Forest edge & gardens
- Diet: Nectar, insects
- Range: Jamaica
What gives copper hummingbirds their unique coloration?
The vibrant coppery, orange, and red hues exhibited by these special hummingbirds result from pigment molecules called carotenoids deposited on growing feather cells as the feathers develop. Common carotenoids producing red hues include astaxanthin and canthaxanthin.
Most North American hummingbirds get their flashy iridescent colors from the nanostructure of the feathers rather than pigments. But pigments produce the coppery shades in species like the vermilion hummingbird. The density of pigment packed into the feathers determines the intensity of the hue.
Diet affects plumage colors too. Carotenoid-rich foods result in brighter reds and oranges. Flower nectar doesn’t contain carotenoids, but small insects and spiders eaten by hummingbirds do. So diet likely influences color variation in copper plumaged hummingbirds.
Do the copper colors serve a purpose?
Like most bird colors, the brilliant hues of coppery hummingbirds likely evolved to serve multiple purposes:
- Camouflage – Blending into the tropical environment may provide some protective benefits.
- Thermoregulation – Darker pigments may absorb heat from sunlight.
- Attracting mates – Bright plumage indicates fitness and attracts females.
- Competition – Vivid colors signal dominance to competitors.
Research suggests the vibrant plumage first arose in hummingbirds through sexual selection, as the beautiful colors attract mates and signify fitness. Once established, the plumage later adapted secondary uses such as camouflage, heat absorption, and competitive signaling as the species adapted and diversified.
How do copper and iridescent hummingbirds coexist?
In some habitats, several hummingbird species coexist together by minimizing competition. The different plumage displayed by copper colored vs. traditionally iridescent hummingbirds may help facilitate niche partitioning.
For example, the fiery Flame-colored Tanager and dazzling Violet-headed Hummingbird (Klais guimeti) inhabit the same Amazonian range. But by differing significantly in coloration, the species may more easily identify their own kind and minimize aggressive energy-wasting conflicts over food resources.
Additionally, different plumage colors may attract the species to different flower types. So the spectacular variety of hummingbird colors found in places like the Andes and Amazon likely minimizes competition and enhances the diversity of hummingbird species that can coexist.
Fun facts about copper colored hummingbirds
Beyond their beautifully unique plumage, copper colored hummingbirds exhibit some fun and fascinating behaviors:
- Male Allen’s hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) perform aerial U-shaped courtship dives up to 100 feet high to impress females.
- A flaming orange Rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) was documented migrating solo over the Gulf of Mexico, a 500 mile nonstop journey over water.
- To display for females, male Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna) climb 130 feet or more then dive straight down while howling.
- Broad-tailed hummingbirds (Selasphorus platycercus) breeding in the Rockies have been recorded surviving overnight body temperatures as low as 73 degrees F when going into nightly torpor.
- Male Costa’s hummingbirds (Calypte costae) produce a distinctive high-pitched song made only with their tail feathers during courtship displays.
Key characteristics of copper colored hummingbirds
While the most obvious shared trait of copper colored hummingbird species is their vivid orange, reddish, or coppery plumage, they do share some other key characteristics:
- Small size – Usually between 2.5-4 inches long, weighing just a few grams
- Long thin bills adapted for nectar feeding
- Rapid wing beats – Up to 70 flaps per second during courtship
- Extreme metabolic rates with high oxygen needs
- Hovering and backward flight abilities
- Small territories aggressively defended from intruders
- Nest building with spider silk and lichen camouflage
- Migratory habits in some northern species
- Sexual dimorphism in plumage – Females less colorful
These shared features equip the coppery beauties for life as nectar feeding aerial acrobats. A reliance on vision shaped their dazzling ornamentation through sexual selection. And their high energy lifestyles demand efficiency adaptations like aerodynamic flight and heat-conserving torpor.
Threats facing copper colored hummingbirds
Despite their captivating beauty, coppery hummingbirds face an array of threats across their ranges:
- Habitat loss from deforestation
- Pesticides reducing insect food supplies
- Excess pesticide exposure
- Climate change misaligning flower bloom seasons
- Nest predation from invasive species
- Collisions with buildings during migration
- Diseases such as West Nile Virus
Protecting remaining tracts of native habitat is crucial for maintaining healthy copper colored hummingbird populations into the future. Individuals can support conservation by providing hummingbird friendly gardens with native plants, avoiding pesticide use, and keeping cats indoors.
Appreciating the unique beauty of copper plumage
We’re fortunate so many hummingbird species exhibit the rainbow iridescence typical of these tropical jewels. But let’s not overlook the exceptional copper colored hummingbirds displaying their own unique brand of beauty.
Next time you spot a fiery tanager or orange-bellied hummer visiting your feeder, take a moment to appreciate the exotic allure of its coppery plumage before it flits off in a blur of color and motion.
