This week’s Bird of the Week, compliments of the Weminuche Audubon Society and Audubon Rockies, is the black-chinned hummingbird.
This week we take a look at one of the four hummingbird species which have visited our feeders and flowers before they all depart for the winter. Both the black-chinned and broad-tailed hummingbirds spend the summer months and breed in our area. By the time that we see the calliope and rufous, they have already nested farther north and are fueling up during their southward fall migrations.
Within their western range, adaptable black-chinneds live in a variety of habitats, including riparian canyons, dry desert washes and high-elevation forests. They are important avian pollinators of more than 90 different plant species. While hovering, they dart long tongues in and out of flowers at the rate of 13-17 licks per second.
Nectar moves through two long grooves in the tongue and is squeezed into the mouth when the tongue is retracted.
In addition to flower nectar and feeder sugar water, these birds consume small insects and spiders. After feeding, one often returns to a favorite perch at the top of a bare branch in a bush to survey and defend its territory. Special shoulder anatomy allows hummingbirds to rotate their wings in a figure-eight pattern, providing both up and down lift for hovering. It also allows them to fly backward — a feat no other bird can do.
The slender black-chinned hummingbird is metallic green above and grayish-white below with a wash of green on the flanks. The patch of velvety black color on the throat of the male gives this bird its name. In the right light, an iridescent purple strip is visible bordering the black. Females have light-colored throats with lines of greenish dots.
At one time we were advised to take our hummingbird feeders down after Labor Day in the belief that hummingbirds would stay too late if these food sources were still provided. Now, Audubon advises leaving feeders filled with fresh nectar as long as hummers are still around. Changes in day length and angle of the sun, and not food availability, will be their cues that it’s time to move on.
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