Black-chinned Hummingbird

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iBlack-chinned Hummingbird

Male

Conservation status

Least Concern (LC)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Trochiliformes
Family:	Trochilidae
Genus:	Archilochus
Species:	A. alexandri

Binomial name

Archilochus alexandri
(Bourcier & Mulsant, 1846)

The Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) is a small hummingbird.

Female

Adults are metallic green above and white below with green flanks. Their bill is long, straight and very slender. The adult male has a black face and chin, a glossy purple throat band and a dark forked tail. The female has a dark rounded tail with white tips and no throat patch; they are similar to female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

Their breeding habitat is open semi-arid areas near water in the western United States, northern Mexico and southern British Columbia. The female builds a well-camouflaged nest in a protected location in a shrub or tree using plant fibre, spider webs and lichens.

They are migratory and most winter in Mexico.

These birds feed on nectar from flowers using a long extendable tongue or catch insects on the wing. While collecting nectar, they also assist in plant pollination.

Because of their small size, they are vulnerable to insect-eating birds and animals. This bird is fairly common in its breeding range.

A hybrid between this species and Anna's Hummingbird was called "Trochilus" violajugulum. The Black-chinned Hummingbird is also known to hybridize with Costa's Hummingbird.

[edit] References

BirdLife International (2004). Archilochus alexandri. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern