Costa's Hummingbird
Encyclopedia
The Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae) is a species of hummingbird
.
The Costa's Hummingbird is very small, a mature adult growing to only 3 to 3½ inches in length. The male Costa's has a mainly green back and flanks, a small black tail and wings, and patches of white below their gorget
ed throat and tail. The male Costa's Hummingbird's most distinguishing feature is its vibrant purple cap and throat with the throat feathers flaring out and back behind its head. The female Costa's Hummingbird is not as distinct as the male, having grayish-green above with a white underbelly.
The Costa's Hummingbird is fairly common in the arid brushy deserts and any nearby gardens of the Southwestern United States
and the Baja California Peninsula
of Mexico
.
The male Costa's Hummingbird's courtship display is a spirited series of swoops and arcing dives, carefully utilizing a proper angle to the sun to show off his violet plumage to impress prospective mates. Each high-speed dive will also pass within inches of the female, perched on a nearby branch, which will be accented by a high-pitched shriek.
The Costa's Hummingbird constructs a small cup-shaped nest out of plant fibers and down and coated with lichen
to hold it together. The nest will be situated above ground on a yucca
stalk or tree limb. The female lays just two eggs, which are white in color, which she will incubate for 15 to 18 days before the young hatch. The young Costa's Hummingbirds leave the nest after 20 to 23 days.
Like all other hummingbird species the Costa's Hummingbird feeds on flower nectar and any tiny insects that it happens to find in the flower petals.
Hybrids between this bird and the Black-chinned Hummingbird
as well as the Broad-tailed Hummingbird
are known.
The binomial commemorates French
nobleman Louis Marie Pantaleon Costa, Marquis de Beauregard (1806-1864).
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
.
The Costa's Hummingbird is very small, a mature adult growing to only 3 to 3½ inches in length. The male Costa's has a mainly green back and flanks, a small black tail and wings, and patches of white below their gorget
Gorget (birds)
A gorget is a patch of colored feathers found on the throat or upper breast of some species of birds. It is a feature found on many male hummingbirds, particularly those found in North America; these gorgets are typically iridescent. Other species, such as the Purple-throated Fruitcrow and Chukar...
ed throat and tail. The male Costa's Hummingbird's most distinguishing feature is its vibrant purple cap and throat with the throat feathers flaring out and back behind its head. The female Costa's Hummingbird is not as distinct as the male, having grayish-green above with a white underbelly.
The Costa's Hummingbird is fairly common in the arid brushy deserts and any nearby gardens of the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
and the Baja California Peninsula
Baja California Peninsula
The Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The Costa's Hummingbird constructs a small cup-shaped nest out of plant fibers and down and coated with lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
to hold it together. The nest will be situated above ground on a yucca
Yucca
Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North...
stalk or tree limb. The female lays just two eggs, which are white in color, which she will incubate for 15 to 18 days before the young hatch. The young Costa's Hummingbirds leave the nest after 20 to 23 days.
Like all other hummingbird species the Costa's Hummingbird feeds on flower nectar and any tiny insects that it happens to find in the flower petals.
Hybrids between this bird and the Black-chinned Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird
The Black-chinned Hummingbird is a small hummingbird.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...
as well as the Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
The Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus, is a medium-sized hummingbird, nearly in length.Male and female both have iridescent green backs and crowns and a white breast. The male has a gorget that shines with a brilliant red iridescence...
are known.
The binomial commemorates French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
nobleman Louis Marie Pantaleon Costa, Marquis de Beauregard (1806-1864).
External links
- Costa's Hummingbird videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Costa's Hummingbird Photos South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Stamps (for United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) with RangeMap - Costa's Hummingbird photo gallery VIREO
- Photo-High Res; Article borderland-tours
