Hummingbirds

Buff-bellied hummingbirds have not been as intensively studied as most other hummingbirds that nest in North America. An amazing vocal repertoire includes a complex song replete with trills and cascades as well as several distinctive call notes. The most familiar call is a chatter that sounds like electric static. The song is given only during […]

Males arrive first at the upper elevations and they stake their claims to territories by means of a towering dive display. Hovering at the top of the display, they can spy intruders as well as potential mates. Females are allowed to enter and feed, giving the territory owner an opportunity to impress them. Females select

This slender 3 ¾-inch bird is at home in a wide variety of situations in the western U.S. From isolated desert canyons to suburban homesites, a plaintive tchew note announces the presence of the black-chinned hummingbird. The name of the species comes from the velvety black feathers that make up the gorget, though males are

The husky, 4-inch-long Anna’s hummingbird inhabited the chaparral-clad slopes of the Pacific Coast when giant condors still graced smog-free California skies. Yet, it has surprisingly prospered along with rampant human development. Few hummingbirds have adapted as easily to the uneasy changes that replace savage wildlands with palaces of concrete and steel. In fact, Anna’s hummingbirds