Lucifer Hummingbird

The Lucifer Hummingbird is a scarce and sought-after species found in the United States only in a small area of desert borderlands. Adult males are striking, with a slender, distinctly decurved bill, a green back, and an iridescent purple gorget whose feathers extend outward into elongated points along the sides of the neck, along with a deeply forked tail. Females lack the colorful throat, showing a green back, buffy underparts, and the same curved bill, which helps distinguish them from other female hummingbirds.

Key Field Marks

• Distinctly decurved (downward-curving) bill in both sexes
• Male: elongated, glittering purple gorget with pointed sides, deeply forked tail
• Female: green back, buffy underparts, curved bill, no gorget
• Small overall size

Similar Species

• Black-chinned Hummingbird has a straight bill and a black-and-purple, not fully purple, gorget.
• Costa's Hummingbird has a straight bill and violet crown as well as throat.
• The curved bill is the most reliable mark separating Lucifer Hummingbird from similarly sized relatives.

Habitat

Lucifer Hummingbirds favor arid, agave- and ocotillo-rich desert slopes and canyons, often in rugged, rocky terrain.

Range

In the United States, it is found in very limited numbers in the Big Bend region of west Texas and parts of southeastern Arizona, with the core of its range in the highlands of central and northern Mexico.

Migration

U.S. populations are summer visitors, arriving in spring to breed and withdrawing south into Mexico by fall.

Behavior

Males are territorial around stands of blooming agave, a key nectar source, and perform display flights to attract mates during the breeding season.

Voice

Calls include thin, high-pitched chip notes; the species lacks a musical song.

Feeding

The curved bill is well suited to probing the deep, curved flowers of agave and other desert plants for nectar, and the species also catches small insects for protein.

Nesting

Females build a small cup nest, often on a low shrub such as ocotillo, in exposed desert habitat.