Name That Hummingbird

.

Adult Male… www.desertmuseum.org

Adult Female at Nest Photo by… Maya Decker www.over-the-rainbow-country-cottage.com

Young Fledgling (purple crown is just starting) www.woodley.ws

Violet-Crowned Hummingbird (latin name)…

The Violet-Crowned Hummingbirds are medium sized – the mature adults reach 3½ inches in length. They are best distinguished by their violet colored crown… hence the common name.

Both the adult male and female Violet-Crowned Hummingbirds are colored predominantly a dark olive green for their upperparts and tail. Their underparts are predominately white. Their bills are straight and very slender.

The male Violet-Crowned Hummingbird has a bright red bill, with a black tip.

The female Violet-Crowned Hummingbird has the same coloring as the male, only not as intense. Her bill is red near the base, with more black showing than the male.

Their breeding range in the US is mostly limited to southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Their breeding range in Mexico is usually the Madrean sky islands in southwest Mexico. Their breeding habitat is in arid scrubby open woods, along river borders and in partial clearings.

The female builds a nest in a protected location in a shrub or tree. She lays two small white eggs, and in optimum years may even raise two broods.

Outside their breeding range, Violet-Crowned Hummingbirds will occasionally stray from southernmost California to southwest Texas. They are partially migratory, retreating only from northernmost areas during the winter.

Acknowledgements: www.wikipedia.com  &  www.usgs.gov

.

Video… “2008 Hummingbird Nest Documentary, high quality humming bird”

Thanks to StoryboardSquad for posting this video on www.YouTube.com

.

Violet-Crowned Hummingbird… Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Map  (This map is not available from the USGS, at present.)

.

Violet-Crowned Hummingbird… Christmas Bird Count (CBC) Map  (This map is not available from the USGS, at present.)