What is the scientific name for hummingbird?

Hummingbirds are a group of small, colorful birds found only in the Americas. They are known for their ability to hover in mid-air and fly backwards as well as forwards. Hummingbirds have become very popular due to their beautiful plumage and energetic behavior. But what exactly is the scientific name for these birds?

The Family Name Trochilidae

All hummingbirds belong to the family Trochilidae. This is a large family containing over 330 species of hummingbirds. Trochilidae is part of the larger order Apodiformes, which also contains swifts and treeswifts. The name ‘Trochilidae’ is derived from the Greek word ‘trochilos’, meaning ‘small bird’. This is an apt description for these tiny, fast-flying nectar feeders.

Origins of the Family Name

The family name Trochilidae was first introduced in 1815 by the French naturalist Louis Pierre Vieillot. Prior to this, hummingbirds were classified into several different groups including Nectariniidae (sunbirds) and Mellisugidae (honeyeaters). Vieillot recognized their differences and assigned them to their own distinct family, which he called Trochilidae.

Notable Trochilidae Genera

Within the Trochilidae family there are several important genera containing multiple hummingbird species:

• Selasphorus – includes the Rufous and Allen’s hummingbirds
• Archilochus – includes the Black-chinned hummingbird
• Calypte – includes the Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds
• Eugenes – includes the Magnificent hummingbird
• Lampornis – includes the Blue-throated hummingbird

The Genus Name Archilochus

One of the most common hummingbird genera in North America is Archilochus. This genus contains three species:

• Black-chinned hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
• Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
• Bahama woodstar (Archilochus subspecies)

The Black-chinned hummingbird has the widest distribution in this genus. The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird found east of the Mississippi River.

Scientific Names and Binomial Nomenclature

All animal and plant species are assigned scientific names using binomial nomenclature. This gives each organism a two-part Latin name consisting of the genus name followed by a specific epithet. For example, the Black-chinned hummingbird’s full scientific name is Archilochus alexandri. This follows the genus name Archilochus with the species epithet alexandri.

The Ruby-throated hummingbird is Archilochus colubris. The species epithet colubris is derived from the Latin word for ‘snake’ and refers to the ruby-red throat feathers.

Scientific names are standardized globally which helps reduce confusion. The genus and species names allow us to be precise when communicating about a specific organism.

Significance of Scientific Names

The main benefits of scientific names over common names are:

• Accuracy – there is only one accepted scientific name for each species which avoids confusion.
• Universality – scientific names are latinized and universal across languages.
• Information – the genus part of the name indicates evolutionary relationships.

Scientific names remove ambiguities that arise with regional common names. For example, the Black-chinned hummingbird may be referred to as the California hummingbird in some areas. But its scientific name Archilochus alexandri remains consistent.

The classification into genus and species also provides information on the evolutionary history of the organism. Closely related species are grouped into the same genus.

Rules for Writing Scientific Names

There are established rules when writing binomial scientific names:

• The genus name is always capitalized, the species epithet is not.
• Both names are italicized, or underlined if italics are not available.
• The genus and species are never separated from each other.

For example: Archilochus colubris

Any deviation from these conventions would be considered incorrect.

Conclusion

In summary, the scientific name for hummingbirds is the family Trochilidae. This family contains over 300 species of hummingbirds in numerous genera such as Archilochus, Calypte and Selasphorus.

The convention of binomial nomenclature gives each Trochilidae species a unique two-word latinized name consisting of the genus followed by species epithet. For example, Archilochus alexandri for the Black-chinned hummingbird. Scientific names enable precise communication and reflect evolutionary relationships between organisms.

References

• Gill, F. B. (1995). Ornithology. WH Freeman and Company.
• Schuchmann, K. L. (1999). Family Trochilidae (Hummingbirds). In del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J. (Eds.), Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 5 (pp. 468–680). Lynx Edicions.
• Williamson, S. L. (2002). A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.