Life & Habitat of the Black-Chinned Hummingbird

The Black-chinned Hummingbird--scientific name, Archilochus alexandri--is a small hummingbird found in certain areas of the Western Hemisphere. Its name is derived from the black chin it sports--together with a long, straight and slender black beak. As for its humming attribute, the sound--produced by its wings--is relatively low pitched.

  1. Geographical Region

    • Black-chinned Hummingbirds mostly live in the Western United States--particularly Southern Arizona and New Mexico, where nests can be found at every 100 meters. They can also be found, however, in parts of Canada, Mexico and South America. Usually, they spend the summer in the Western part of North America and migrate during the winter time to western Mexico and Central America, or to the Gulf Coast of the Southern U.S.

    Habitat

    • Black-chinned Hummingbirds are exceptionally widespread, as they can be found in virtually any setting. Some live in urban areas, while others live in natural settings such as deserts and forests. Birds in the Southwestern U.S. mostly live in canyons and along rivers, and those wintering along the Gulf Coast frequently spend time in the shade of oak trees. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Black-chinned Hummingbird is one of the most adaptable of all hummingbirds.

    Life Cycle and Size

    • The eggs of Black-chinned Hummingbird are about the size of a coffee bean. Nests are made out of plant down, spider silk and cocoon fibers--materials that allow expansion as the babies grow in size. The average length, wingspan and weight of these birds is around 4 inches, 5 inches and 3 grams, respectively. Black-chinned Hummingbirds are known to live as long as 10 years.

    Food and Behavior

    • The diet of Black-chinned Hummingbirds mainly consists of nectar from flowers. They extract nectar by extending tongue into corolla while hovering over the flower. They also feed on small insects and spiders; they catch the former in flight and the latter while ballooning. After eating, they perch on branches to survey the territory before them for several minutes before taking flight once again.

    Gender

    • Typical of most hummingbirds, male Black-chinned Hummingbirds average smaller than females. Adult males can be identified by iridescent purple gorgets at lower throat; a black face, chin and upper throat; and a completely dark tail. Females have no dark throat patches, and their tails are dark tail with white tips. During courtship, male bird put on a show by diving 66 to 100 feet in the air.