Birds
Black-Chinned Hummingbird
Archilochus alexandri · also called black-chinned hummingbirds
A male black-chinned hummingbird tilts his head at just the right angle beside a garden feeder, and for a fraction of a second a hidden band of iridescent purple flashes along his throat before vanishing again as quickly as it appeared.
Overview
The black-chinned hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri, is a small, adaptable hummingbird native to desert, forest edge, and riparian habitat across a broad range of the western United States and Mexico. Its hidden iridescent throat flash and impressive tolerance for varied habitats make it one of the more visually subtle yet ecologically flexible hummingbirds in North America.
Colour that depends entirely on the angle
Most of the time, a male black-chinned hummingbird’s throat gives away nothing at all, its true iridescent colour locked away until the light happens to catch it exactly right, a fleeting display that rewards only the most attentively positioned observer.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable habitat throughout the western United States and Mexico.
Black-Chinned Hummingbird: common questions
Why does the black-chinned hummingbird's throat look plain black most of the time?
A male black-chinned hummingbird's throat appears mostly plain black under most lighting conditions because the thin band of iridescent purple along its lower edge only becomes visible when light strikes the feathers at a very specific angle, meaning the colour can seem to appear and disappear as the bird moves its head.
Why is the black-chinned hummingbird found in so many different habitats?
The black-chinned hummingbird tolerates a notably broad range of habitats, from desert canyons to mountain forest edges to suburban gardens, an adaptability that has allowed it to thrive across a wider variety of environments than several of its more habitat-specific hummingbird relatives.
How does the black-chinned hummingbird build its nest?
A black-chinned hummingbird builds a tiny, cup-shaped nest bound together with spider silk, a material flexible enough to allow the nest to stretch gradually as the growing chicks inside require increasingly more space.
Where does the black-chinned hummingbird live?
The black-chinned hummingbird is native to desert, forest edge, and riparian habitat across a broad range of the western United States and Mexico, migrating a considerable distance between its breeding range and wintering grounds farther south.