Black-chinned Hummingbird

The Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) is an exceptionally hardy and adaptable species, widely distributed across western North America during the breeding season. Dull metallic green above and pale gray below, this slender little bird is less flashy than some of its relatives, but it is one of the most common backyard hummingbirds in the West. It has adapted extremely well to human-altered landscapes, readily nesting in gardens, orchards, and urban parks wherever nectar-producing flowers and feeders are available. Despite its tiny size, it is a feisty defender of its feeding territories.

Identifying the Black-chinned Hummingbird requires attention to fine details, especially when distinguishing it from the closely related Ruby-throated Hummingbird where their ranges occasionally overlap.

Male Identification

• Throat (Gorget): Appears entirely velvety black in poor or indirect light. In direct, bright sunlight, a brilliant, iridescent stripe of metallic violet-purple is revealed along the bottom edge of the black throat.
• Plumage: Dark green back, white breast, and dusky-green flanks. A clean white collar separates the dark throat from the chest.
• Bill: Long, slender, and slightly decurved.

Female Identification

• Plumage: Metallic green on the back with a plain, pale-gray to white breast and belly. The throat is clean white, sometimes showing faint, dusky speckling.
• Tail: Tail feathers are green in the center, transitioning to black, with prominent white tips on the three outer tail feathers on each side.

Similar Species

• Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Extremely similar, but separated mostly by geography (Ruby-throated is eastern; Black-chinned is western). Physically, the Black-chinned has a slightly longer, more noticeably curved bill than the Ruby-throated, and its wingtips when perched are broader and reach closer to the tail tip.

Black-chinned Hummingbirds occupy a diverse range of habitats across their western range.

• Breeding Range: Found from British Columbia down through the western United States (including the Great Basin, Desert Southwest, and Pacific Northwest) to northern Mexico. They prefer riparian corridors lined with cottonwoods, sycamores, or oaks, as well as canyons, desert washes, and suburban gardens.
• Wintering Range: They migrate south to spend the winter along the Pacific coast of western Mexico, interior Mexico, and in recent decades, increasingly along the Gulf Coast of the United States.
• Elevation: They breed from sea level up to mid-elevation mountain canyons, typically below 2,500 meters (8,000 feet).

Feeding and Foraging

Black-chinned Hummingbirds feed actively on floral nectar and sugar-water from feeders. They also consume vast quantities of small insects and spiders, which provide crucial protein. They hunt insects by "hawking" (catching them in mid-air) or by hovering to pluck them from spiderwebs and foliage. While hovering to feed, this species has a highly characteristic habit of constantly pumping and wagging its tail.

Courtship and Vocalizations

During the breeding season, males perform spectacular, U-shaped courtship displays. They climb up to 30 meters (100 feet) into the air and dive steeply past a perched female, producing a loud mechanical whistling or whirring sound with their wings at the bottom of the dive. Their vocalizations are quiet, consisting of soft, high-pitched chips and a dry, buzzy chase call used when pursuing intruders.

Nesting

The female alone builds a tiny, compact cup nest of plant down, bud scales, and spider silk, which allows the nest to stretch as the chicks grow. The exterior is usually camouflaged with lichen or small plant fibers, and the nest is situated on a slender, horizontal branch, often overhanging water or a cleared pathway.