What looks like a hummingbird but has stripes?

Hummingbirds are known for their tiny size, speedy flight, and ability to hover in midair. They have slender, pointed bills and wings that beat up to 80 times per second. But some of these buzzing birds have a distinctive feature not commonly associated with hummingbirds – stripes!

What hummingbirds have stripes?

While most hummingbirds have solid or iridescent plumage, a few specific species sport bold stripes on their tail feathers, crowns, throats, or bodies. Here are some of the hummingbirds with stripes:

• Rufous-tailed Hummingbird – This feisty hummingbird from Mexico and Central America has a rufous-colored body with conspicuous black and white stripes on its long, tapered tail.
• Violet-tailed Sylph – Found in the Andes Mountains, the male violet-tailed sylph has metallic green body plumage and a deeply forked violet and black tail with white outer tail feathers.
• Long-tailed Sylph – Closely related to the violet-tailed sylph, the long-tailed sylph of South America sports two long white-tipped tail feathers and an bold white stripe behind its eyes.
• White-necked Jacobin – The male white-necked jacobin gets its name from the conspicuous white stripe on its lower nape. It lives in tropical South America.
• Collared Inca – A denizen of humid Andean forests, the male collared inca has a mostly green head and underparts with white stripes on its flanks.
• Swallow-tailed Hummingbird – This large Caribbean hummingbird has a deeply forked blue-black tail with outer white feathers. The male also has a bold blue crown and gorget.

So while hummingbirds are best known for their diminutive size and aerobatic skills, some species add a touch of graphic stripes and contrasting patterns.

Why do some hummingbirds have stripes?

Hummingbirds’ vibrant plumage plays an important role in courtship displays and mating. The males of many species have brightly colored feathers to attract females. Here are some of the reasons why stripes may have evolved in certain hummingbirds:

• Recognition – The unique tail stripes help the hummingbirds recognize others of the same species.
• Attracting mates – Male hummingbirds use the flashy tail stripes during courtship displays to attract females.
• Status symbol – Bolder stripe patterns may indicate a male’s fitness. Females select males with the brightest feathers.
• Camouflage – Throat or head stripes help some species blend in to dappled forest environments.
• Warning signal – Bold stripes and contrasting patterns warn potential predators that the birds may be unpalatable.

So hummingbirds’ stripes likely evolved through both sexual selection, as the birds developed showy features to impress mates, and natural selection for traits that aided their survival.

Stripes versus iridescence

While some hummingbirds sport bold stripes and patterns, other species have shimmering, iridescent plumage. Iridescence is created by specialized feather structures that reflect light. Here’s how plain stripes and gleaming iridescent feathers compare:

Both types of coloration help hummingbirds communicate and find mates. Stripes and iridescence serve different signaling purposes with stripes creating bold monochromatic patterns and iridescent feathers producing subtle shiftng hues.

Unique beaks

In addition to distinctive plumage differences, hummingbirds have evolved specialized beaks to help them feed on the nectar of certain flowers. Here are some of the unique beak adaptations among hummingbirds with stripes:

• Long slender beaks – Hummingbirds like the rufous-tailed and long-tailed sylph have very long narrow beaks perfect for probing tubular tropical flowers.
• Curved beaks – The swallow-tailed hummingbird has a curved bill ideal for reaching the nectar of blossoms that hang upside down.
• Stronger beaks – Hummingbirds like the white-necked jacobin have shorter sturdier beaks good for feeding from tougher, thicker flowers.

So differences in stripe patterns correlate with specialized beak types as different hummingbird species have evolved to feed on specific flower shapes.

Interesting behaviors

In addition to unique plumage and beak adaptations, some striped hummingbirds exhibit fascinating behaviors related to migration, feeding, courtship, and more.

• The rufous-tailed hummingbird migrates over 2,000 miles each year between Mexico and Alaska — one of the longest migration routes in the hummingbird world.
• The violet-tailed sylph builds hanging nests high in trees using spider silk and lichen to camouflage them.
• During courtship displays, male swallow-tailed hummingbirds climb up to 130 feet in the air then dive back down while making loud wing trills.
• The white-necked jacobin practices “trap-lining,” visiting the same flower patches in sequence like trappers checking their trap lines.

So hummingbirds with striped plumage often have equally fascinating behavioral adaptations for migrating, mating, and more.

Where to see hummingbirds with stripes

Here are some top places to spot different stripe-sporting hummingbird species in the wild:

• Southwest United States – To see rufous-tailed hummingbirds, visit hummingbird hotspots like Ramsey Canyon in Arizona or the Chisos Mountains in Texas.
• Ecuador – Many striped Andean hummingbirds like violet-tailed sylphs and collared incas can be found at Ecuadorian reserves such as Mindo Cloudforest.
• Costa Rica – A variety of hummingbirds including swallow-tailed can be viewed at Costa Rican havens like Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.
• Panama – The Panama Canal watershed and El Valle de Anton are prime spots to find white-necked jacobins and other exotic hummingbird species.

So head to lush forests and flowering gardens across the Americas to catch a glimpse of these beautifully striped hummers in action!

Unique striping patterns

Hummingbirds’ stripes occur in a variety of distinctive patterns. Here are some of the unique ways striping appears on different hummingbird species:

• Tails – Rufous-tailed and violet-tailed sylphs have tapered tails with bold stripes right along their outer tail feathers.
• Heads – Swallow-tailed hummingbirds have blue and black striped crowns, while white-necked jacobins have a single white stripe behind their eyes.
• Throats – Many hummingbird species like the ruby-throated hummingbird display striped or speckled patches on their chins and throats.
• Flanks – The collared inca boasts white horizontal stripes along its sides contrasting its dark green belly.

Researchers think these unique stripe placements help the birds identify their own kind, attract mates, camouflage, and warn predators.

Mimicking hummingbirds with stripes

The dazzling iridescent colors and bold stripe patterns of hummingbirds have inspired human fashion and artistry for ages. Here are some ways people mimic hummingbirds’ striped styles:

• Clothing and textile designers incorporate hummingbird motifs and colors into prints on fabrics.
• Jewelry makers create earrings, pendants, and charms glinting with iridescent feathers and stripes.
• Tattoo artists ink colorful hummingbird designs on skin, including details like forked striped tails.
• Floral arrangers incorporate real hummingbird feathers into displays to add shimmer and whimsy.
• Body painters and makeup artists paint abstract hummingbird stripes and patterns on faces and skin.

Hummingbirds continue to enchant and inspire humans with their speed, acrobatics, and flashes of rainbow colors and bold stripes.

Threats faced by striped hummingbirds

Though stunningly beautiful, many of the world’s uniquely striped hummingbirds face major threats to their future survival. Some key dangers include:

• Habitat loss – Logging, agriculture, and development destroy the forests and flowering meadows hummingbirds rely on.
• Climate change – Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns threaten hummingbird food supplies.
• Pesticides – Chemical pollution reduces insect populations hummingbirds feed on and contaminates nectar sources.
• Illegal pet trade – Trafficking takes adult birds and chicks from the wild for the pet trade.

Conservation measures like preserving habitats, banning pesticides, controlling trafficking, and mitigating climate change are crucial for protecting endangered striped hummingbirds everywhere.

Fascinating characteristics of striped hummingbirds

Beyond their obvious stripes, hummingbirds have many other fascinating characteristics and abilities. Here are some intriguing traits and talents of stripe-feathered hummingbirds:

• Lightning speed – They can fly at speeds over 50 mph.
• Mid-air mastery – They can hover, fly backwards, and rotate 180 degrees while hovering.
• High metabolism – They have super fast metabolisms to power energy-intensive hovering.
• Sharp vision – They have exceptional eyesight to spot food sources while in flight.
• Unusual feet – Their tiny feet are only used for perching, not walking or hopping.
• Extreme endurance – They migrating species make nonstop 500 mile flights over the Gulf of Mexico.

From their aerobatics to their incredible metabolism, everything about a hummingbird is fast, optimized, and captivating!

Spotting hummingbirds with stripes

Here are some top tips for spotting hummingbirds with flashy stripes in the wild:

• Look for habitat with flowering plants, shrubs, and trees that attract hummingbirds.
• Listen for high-pitched chips and buzzing wings.
• Watch for fast-moving blurs zooming by.
• Use binoculars and zoom lenses to scan flowering patches.
• Sit quietly to avoid scaring off the hummingbirds.
• Look up frequently as hummingbirds are often high up.
• Have patience, hummingbirds move very quickly!

With some luck and persistence, an observer can be rewarded with a dazzling look at one of nature’s living jewels flashing its striped plumage!

Conclusion

While most hummingbirds display solid or iridescent plumage, some unique species add vibrant stripes and contrasting patterns to their tail feathers, heads, throats or bodies. These special markings likely serve purposes from attracting mates to warning predators during the birds’ specialized behaviors. Though threatened in the wild, hummingbirds continue to inspire and captivate humans. With careful observation in the right habitat, anyone can be rewarded with a glimpse of these marvels of nature and their beautiful striped feathers.