Costa's hummingbird | |
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Male above, female below | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Clade: | Strisores |
Order: | Apodiformes |
Family: | Trochilidae |
Genus: | Calypte |
Species: | C. costae |
Binomial name | |
Calypte costae (Bourcier, 1839) | |
Range of C. costae Breeding range Year-round range Wintering range |
Costa's hummingbird (Calypte costae) is a bird species in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. [3] It breeds in the arid region of the southwest United States and northwest Mexico; it winters in western Mexico. [3]
Costa's hummingbird was formally described by the French ornithologist Jules Bourcier in 1839 and given the binomial name Ornismya costae. [4] Bourcier chose the specific epithet to honour the French nobleman Louis Marie Pantaleon Costa, Marquis de Beauregard (1806–1864). [5] The type locality is Magdalena Bay on the western coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. [6] Costa's hummingbird is now placed in the genus Calypte that was introduced in 1856 by John Gould. [7] [8] The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. [8]
Hybrids between this species and Anna's hummingbird, the black-chinned hummingbird as well as the broad-tailed hummingbird are known. [9]
This species is small, as a mature adult grows to only 3–3.5 in (7.6–8.9 cm) in length, with a wingspan of 11 cm, [10] and an average weight of 3.05 g for males and 3.22 g for females. [3] [11] The male has a mainly green back and flanks, a small black tail and wings, and patches of white below their gorgeted throat and tail. Its most distinguishing feature is its vibrant purple cap and throat with the throat feathers flaring out and back behind its head. [3] The female is not as distinct as the male, having grayish-green above with a white underbelly. [3]
Costa's hummingbird is common in the arid brushy deserts and gardens of the Southwestern United States and the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico. [3]
The male Costa's hummingbird's courtship display is a spirited series of swoops and arcing dives, using an angle to the sun to display its violet extendedgorget to prospective mates. [12] The male makes a high-speed dive pass or hover close to the female, perched on a nearby branch, and is accented by a high-pitched vibration that is produced by tail feathers. Separately, the male will perch and produce a high-pitched, scratch-like song. [3]
The female constructs a small cup-shaped nest out of plant fibers, down, and at times spider silk, coated with lichen to hold it together. [13] The nest is situated on a yucca stalk or tree limb. The female lays just two eggs, which are white in color, which she will incubate for 15 to 18 days before the young hatch. The young leave the nest after 20 to 23 days.
As common with hummingbird species, Costa's hummingbird feeds on flower nectar and small insects. While feeding in flight, a Costa's hummingbird may hover.
As with other hummingbird species, the Costa's hummingbird can slow its metabolism during cold nights when it enters a hibernation-like state known as torpor, with its heart rate and respiration slowing substantially. [3]
The IUCN describes them as of least concern. The population is stable and there are no known threats. They are found in at least one protected area. [14]
The black-chinned hummingbird is a hummingbird occupying a broad range of habitats. Its summer range is in the western United States and southwestern Canada. It is migratory, wintering as far south as Mexico. In sunlight, the gorget of iridescent purple feathers bordering its black chin is noticeable.
The calliope hummingbird is the smallest bird native to the United States and Canada. It has a western breeding range mainly from California to British Columbia, and migrates to the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America for its wintering grounds. The calliope hummingbird is the smallest known long-distance bird migrant, completing migrations twice per year of some 9,000 km (5,600 mi).
Anna's hummingbird is a North American species of hummingbird. It was named after Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli.
Allen's hummingbird is a species of hummingbird that breeds in the western United States. It is one of seven species in the genus Selasphorus.
Rivoli's hummingbird, also known as the magnificent hummingbird, is a species of hummingbird in the "mountain gems", tribe Lampornithini in subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the United States.
The amazilia hummingbird is a hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is the only species placed in the genus Amazilis. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Its six subspecies differ primarily in their throat and belly colors.
The berylline hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States.
The broad-billed hummingbird is a small-sized hummingbird that resides in Mexico and the southwestern United States. The bird displays sexual dimorphism, and the juveniles resemble the female adult more than the male adult. The broad-billed hummingbird is a bright coloured bird with a broad and bright red bill. The bird is also known for its other common names – the Colibrí Pico Ancho in Spanish and Colibri circé in French. It is a diurnal bird.
The snowy-bellied hummingbird, also known as snowy-breasted hummingbird, is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in mostly in Costa Rica and Panama with a few records in Colombia.
The rufous-shafted woodstar is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found in Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
The swallow-tailed hummingbird is a species in the hummingbird family (Trochilidae), found mainly in east-central South America. Most authorities place it in the genus Eupetomena, although some place it in Campylopterus based on song and the thick shafts of the males' first primaries. Its common name and specific epithet both refer to the long, deeply forked, somewhat swallow-like tail.
The blue-throated goldentail, also known as the blue-throated sapphire, is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and heavily degraded former forest.
The violet-headed hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is the only species in the genus Klais.
The sapphire-throated hummingbird is a shiny metallic-green hummingbird found in Panama, Colombia, and more recently Costa Rica. The sapphire-throated hummingbird is separated into three subspecies; Chrysuronia coeruleogularis coeruleogularis, Chrysuronia coeruleogularis coelina, and Chrysuronia coeruleogularis conifis.
The black-tailed trainbearer is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found between 2500 and 3800m in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.
The rufous-crested coquette is a species of hummingbird native to the tropical slopes of pacific South America. Due to its small size and population, it is a rare sight even within its native region. Males of the species can be easily distinguished by their striking rufous coloured spiked crests, and females, while less obvious, can be identified by their small size and rufous coloured foreheads.
The vervain hummingbird is a species of hummingbird in tribe Mellisugini of subfamily Trochilinae, the "bee hummingbirds". It is found on Hispaniola and Jamaica.
The rufous-gaped hillstar, formerly included in the white-tailed hillstar, is a species of hummingbird in the "brilliants", tribe Heliantheini in subfamily Lesbiinae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
The green-headed hillstar is a species of hummingbird found in the Andes of southern Ecuador and northern and central Peru. It is one of 6 species in the genus Oreotrochilus, and can be distinguished from its relatives by subtle differences in plumage coloration. The green-headed hillstar received its name due to its bronze and green crown and gorget of bright emerald green plumage. The species was first discovered by English ornithologist Osbert Salvin in 1895 and named after Polish ornithologist Jean Stanislaus Stolzmann.
The crowned woodnymph or violet-crowned woodnymph, is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from Belize and Guatemala to far-northern Peru.