Black-chinned Hummingbird

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

Black-chinned HummingbirdConservation status: Least concern

Male Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this image under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

Scientific classification

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

Binomial name

Archilochus alexandri
(Bourcier & Mulsant, 1846)

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 fiber, 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.

Female Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this image under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

Black-chinned female feeding her young in Summer of 2003. Nest 7 feet up in Mountain Ash (note berries in background). Location is 2 miles upstream from Chattaroy, WA in the Little Spokane River Valley.

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