This month let’s learn about the Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) which is found in the Sacramento area from April through September. Only a few other species of hummingbird species are commonly seen here: the Anna's Hummingbird which lives here year-round and the Rufous Hummingbird that is seen briefly during migration in both spring and fall. 

Black-chinned Hummingbirds are migratory birds that nest in the western United States, southern British Columbia, and northern Mexico. Most Black-chinned Hummingbirds spend their winters in western Mexico. Some birds pass through the southeastern United States and winter along the Gulf Coast.

If you compare Black-chinned Hummingbirds to humans, they have an extremely fast heart rate (480 beats per minute at rest) and a fast respiration or breathing rate (245 breaths per minute at rest). In flight, their wingbeats are 15-80 times per second! Thankfully, in cold weather, hummingbirds enter a state called torpor where their metabolism is much slower. During torpor, their heart rate lowers to 45-180, their breathing is slow and sporadic, and they get their energy from stored fat which keeps them warm enough to survive.

What do Black-chinned Hummingbirds look like?

It is extremely difficult to follow a Black-chinned Hummingbird with your eyes because they dart and weave through an environment so quickly. They are small, slender birds that weigh only about three grams. Black-chinned Hummingbirds have long black bills that curve slightly downwards. This type of bill is called a decurved bill. Adult males have bronze-green iridescent backs. Iridescence is defined as luminous coloration that appears to change when movement alters the angle of light. Males also have black and purple throats, light green flanks (or sides), grayish-white chests, and dark heads, wings, and tails. Male Black-chinned Hummingbirds also have white collars that wrap around their necks. It is often much easier to see this white collar than the purple band above. Adult females and juvenile birds have green iridescent backs as well. In contrast to males, females and juveniles have white throats with faint dots or streaking, greenish-gray heads, and white tips on the outer tail feathers. Juvenile male Black-chinned Hummingbirds may have a few tiny iridescent and colorful spots visible on their throat area or throat patch.

The throat patch on a hummingbird is called a gorget. This area can be quite colorful and iridescent on male birds. The male Black-chinned Hummingbird’s gorget is black on top with a purple lower band. Their gorgets can appear solid black especially in low-light conditions.

Black-chinned Hummingbirds have been noted to flick or pump their tails more often than some other hummingbird species. They flip and spread their tails often while hovering. Some other helpful identification points for Black-chinned Hummingbirds is that they have slightly a longer bill and a somewhat thinner body shape and necks than do other species in our area.

Although female hummingbirds do not have brightly colored gorgets like males, the females of some species sometimes have a small area of colorful, iridescent gorget feathers. Since hummingbird females tend to look the same, it can be quite difficult to tell which species they are.

Where do Black-chinned Hummingbirds live and nest?

Black-chinned Hummingbirds are highly adaptable and live in a variety of habitats including arid canyons, high mountains, scrublands, forests and woodlands, and along rivers (riparian habitat). In addition, they will eagerly nest in urban and suburban habitat if they are offered tall trees and flowering shrubs and vines. As far as nesting, it’s the female that does all the work. The male is usually not involved.

Black-chinned Hummingbird females build their nests at various heights. Their nests are often fairly low (4-8 feet from the ground) but can be as high as 30 feet. Black-chinned Hummingbird nests are frequently constructed on horizontal, exposed, and bare tree branches.

They also build nests on human structures. The nest is a small compact cup that can stretch lengthwise as the babies grow. Nest materials include spider webs, grasses, plant fibers, insect cocoon fibers, and plant down (plant material that is fluffy or fuzzy in nature) which is used for the lining. Some reports state that females use their whole body to powerfully mould the nest as if it were clay. The nest is often camouflaged with lichen or leaves. Females lay a clutch (or group) of eggs 1-3 times per nesting season. There are usually only two eggs per clutch, each being the size of a coffee bean. Only the females incubate the eggs (sit on eggs to keep them warm) and feed the young. They stick their long bills deep into the nestlings mouths to feed them partially digested food. The young first fly at about 20 days after hatching. Female Black-chinned Hummingbirds will often use the same perch out in the open to keep watch over the nest and easily chase away predators when necessary. Females have been known to nest near several other Black-chinned Hummingbird nests.

What do Black-chinned Hummingbirds eat?

Black-chinned Hummingbirds obtain nectar from flowers putting their long bills deep inside tubular flowers. They eat small insects, spiders, and sugar water in feeders. In cold weather, Black-chinned Hummingbirds may consume up to three times their body weight in nectar per day. They can survive without nectar when there is an ample supply of insects. Black-chinned Hummingbirds catch small insects in flight (such as in a swarm of gnats) or will hover and pluck insects from leaves, etc. Spiders sometimes suspend themselves on fine threads that flow in the air. Hummingbirds will readily catch and eat them. Black-chinned Hummingbirds will also take insects that have been trapped in spider webs.

It is good to have native plants in your yard that are known to be used by hummingbirds for obtaining nectar. When there are mature native plants around, there is less of a reason to put up sugar water feeders. If you do offer sugar water feeders, please clean your feeders often (every one to two days) and do not add food coloring. Molds can grow quickly on feeders in both cold and warm temperatures. Molds can cause hummingbirds’ tongues to swell making it impossible for them to drink. In hot weather, sugar water ferments and becomes toxic to hummingbirds. For more information on feeding hummingbirds check out these Frequently Asked Questions from National Audubon Society.

What do Black-chinned Hummingbirds sound like?

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to identify a Black-chinned Hummingbird is with their sounds. Their calls and distinctive sounds that their wingbeats and tails produce are heard often. There have only been two reports made of a male Black-chinned Hummingbird singing. The song was described as “warbling” and “high-pitched”. You can listen to some sounds of the Black-chinned Hummingbird now.

These sounds of the Black-chinned Hummingbird are from xeno-canto. More Black-chinned Hummingbird vocalizations can be found at https://xeno-canto.org/species/Archilochus-alexandri

Compiled by Jane Van Kessel

Sources include Cornell’s All About Birds and Birds of the World, National Audubon Society Field Guide, Travis Audubon, Pajarito Environmental Education Center