The Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) is a small hummingbird found primarily in the western United States. This agile, fast-flying bird can be identified by its dark purplish head and chin, green back, and white underparts. The Black-chinned Hummingbird has a wide range and large population across much of western North America.
Quick Facts
- Scientific Name: Archilochus alexandri
- Other Common Names: Western Black-chinned Hummingbird
- Size: 3.5-4 inches long
- Wingspan: 4.25-4.5 inches
- Weight: 2-4 grams
- Habitat: Open woodlands, canyons, mountain meadows
- Range: Western U.S. and Mexico
- Diet: Nectar, insects
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
Identification
The Black-chinned Hummingbird gets its name from the black feathers that cover its chin and throat. The adult male has a dark, shimmering purple head and chin, a bright green back, and white underparts. In bright sunlight, the throat may appear dark blue or black. Females lack the dark chin and throat patch, instead having pale white and gray underparts with greenish sides and a pale throat with dusky speckles.
In flight, both sexes display a relatively short tail with rounded tips and fast, precise wingbeats. They produce a thin, squeaky chip or tseep call while feeding and short twittering or whistling notes during courtship displays.
Range and Distribution
The Black-chinned Hummingbird has a widespread breeding range covering much of western North America:
- Breeds from southern British Columbia across western U.S. to Texas
- Winters along the Pacific coast from California to Mexico and in southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas
- Rare vagrants occur in the eastern U.S. and southern Ontario
This species is found in a variety of semi-open habitats across its range, including pine-oak woodlands, mountain meadows, canyons, forest edges, and gardens. It is abundant in parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
The map below shows the breeding and wintering range of the Black-chinned Hummingbird:
Image credit: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Migration
The Black-chinned Hummingbird migrates relatively short distances compared to some other hummingbird species. Northern populations migrate south to wintering grounds in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. There is also some elevational migration, with the birds moving to lower elevations in winter.
The spring migration north begins in March, with most birds arriving on the breeding grounds by May. Southward migration occurs from late summer through early fall, with timing dependent on food availability. Due to their small size, hummingbirds are vulnerable to starvation during migration if they encounter inclement weather or lack of food sources along their route.
Migration Route
The Black-chinned Hummingbird generally follows these migration pathways between breeding and wintering grounds:
- Western Rocky Mountains to the southwest U.S. deserts
- Pacific Northwest south along the West Coast to Mexico
- Intermountain West south to Arizona and New Mexico
Birds may deviate from the most direct route to visit areas rich in nectar-producing flowers to refuel along the way.
Habitat
The Black-chinned Hummingbird uses a variety of semi-open habitats across its range during the breeding season, including:
- Pine-oak woodlands
- Riparian corridors
- Canyons and gullies
- Mountain meadows
- Scrub and chaparral
- Forest edges and openings
They are often found in arid habitats such as desert scrub provided there is sufficient flowering forage. Easy access to nectar-rich flowers is more important than specific vegetation types.
In winter, these birds expand into desert scrub, tropical deciduous forest edges, and thornscrub vegetation along their migration routes and wintering grounds. They are also regular visitors to gardens, parks, and agricultural areas where flowering plants are abundant.
Range Elevations
During the breeding season, the Black-chinned Hummingbird is found at elevations ranging from:
- British Columbia: 130 – 6,500 feet
- California: Below 8,500 feet
- Rocky Mountains: 5,000 – 10,500 feet
- Texas: Lowlands to 5,000 feet
On the wintering grounds, most birds occur below 5,000 feet in flat desert valleys and agricultural areas. Some populations wintering in Mexico ascend mountain slopes up to 9,800 feet.
Diet and Feeding
Like all hummingbirds, the Black-chinned Hummingbird has unique dietary adaptations to fuel their high-energy lifestyle. Their diet consists primarily of:
- Nectar: Main food source obtained from a variety of flowers
- Small insects and spiders: Provides protein; captured by aerial hawking or gleaning from foliage
Nectar accounts for 60-80% of their nutritional intake. They use their specialized long, extendable tongues to lap up nectar while hovering in front of flowers. Preferred nectar sources include sages, penstemons, mimulus, columbines, and mints.
To meet their high metabolic demands, Black-chinned Hummingbirds visit hundreds of flowers daily and consume up to eight times their body weight in nectar each day. They play a key role as pollinators for many plant species.
Feeding Behavior
Black-chinned Hummingbirds exhibit some fascinating feeding behaviors and adaptations:
- Hover in front of flowers using rapid, precision wingbeats to stay stationary
- Extend their grooved tongues rapidly to lap nectar while hovering
- Preferred feeding height is 3-6 feet; regularly feed at blossoms up to 30 feet high
- Trap insects in mid-air by aerial hawking
- Glean insects from leaves and bark by brief hovering maneuvers
- Fiercely territorial; aggressively chase competitors from flower patches
Their ability to fly precisely in place enables efficient nectar extraction from favored flower shapes and sizes. They often return to dependable nectar sources along established foraging routes.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The Black-chinned Hummingbird exhibits the following reproductive behaviors across its western breeding range:
- Courtship Displays: Elaborate aerial displays and vocalizations to attract females
- Nest Building: Female builds small cup nest of plant down, spider webs on branch tip
- Clutch Size: Usually 2 tiny white eggs
- Incubation: Female incubates eggs for 14-16 days
- Fledging: Chicks leave nest at 20-26 days old
- Broods per Year: Usually raises 1-2 broods
The male establishes a breeding territory then performs courtship displays to attract a female. These remarkable displays involve flying in repeated elliptical loops up to 130 feet across while making sputtering sounds. If a female perches nearby, he may fly in tight U-shaped or J-shaped dives.
Once paired, the female builds a tiny cup nest out of plant down, spider webs, and lichens on the tip of a downward hanging branch. She incubates the eggs and cares for the young without assistance from the male. The eggs hatch after 2-3 weeks, and the chicks fledge about 3 weeks later.
Nesting Facts
Fun facts about Black-chinned Hummingbird nesting habits:
- Nest height ranges from 3-50 feet up
- Preferred nest sites are on ponderosa pine, willow, sycamore
- Nests are only 1.5 inches wide and 0.5 inches deep
- Males play no role in nest building, incubation or raising young
- Females may reuse nests for second broods
By reusing sturdy nests, females save energy from constantly gathering new nesting materials. The tiny nest size and reused materials help make the nests nearly invisible to predators.
Conservation Status
The Black-chinned Hummingbird has an extremely large range and population size. According to the IUCN Red List, it is classified as Least Concern.
Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 7.5 million, with 97% spending some part of the year in the U.S. Breeding Bird Survey data indicates populations increased by 2.7% per year from 1966-2015.
Major threats include habitat loss from urban and agricultural development. However, these adaptable birds utilize gardens, parks, and other human-modified environments. Providing flowering plants, nectar feeders and nest boxes helps support them around developed areas.
Fun Facts
- To conserve energy, hummers can lower their body temperature and heart rate while roosting at night
- They can beat their wings up to 75 times per second
- Males perform dramatic courtship dives at speeds exceeding 60 mph
- A hummingbird’s heart may beat over 1,200 times per minute while in flight
- Their tongues have tube-like tips to lap up nectar and fringe-like edges to collect insects
Conclusion
In summary, the Black-chinned Hummingbird is a widespread and thriving species across much of western North America. They migrate relatively short distances between breeding and wintering grounds. These tiny, energetic birds play vital ecological roles as pollinators and prey while fascinating birdwatchers with their beauty and behavior.
Providing nectar sources and nest sites helps support Black-chinned Hummingbird populations sharing our living spaces across their range. With a little research and effort, we can all contribute to the conservation of these captivating hummingbirds.
