Black-Chinned Hummingbird

BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD – (Archilochus alexandri)

Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Archilochus
Species: A. alexandri

The Black-chinned hummingbird breeds as far north as Canada, the western United States, and as south as Mexico.
They are a migratory bird that mainly travels south to Mexico for the winter.

The Black-chinned hummingbird’s scientific name is in commemoration of Dr. Alexandre, a French doctor who was the first to discover the species in Mexico.

Male
Black-Chinned Hummingbirds:

Male Black-chinned hummingbirds are small, metallic green birds with white undersides and a striking black throat (gorget) that shimmers a royal purple in the sunlight.

This royal purple gorget resembling a buttoned-up shirt with a small flash of color right near the neckline is their distinguishing feature. 

They have a black bill and a forked dark tail.
Their length ranges from 3.25 to 3.5 inches, and they weigh between 2.8 and 5.6 grams.

The metal plate that shields the wearer’s throat during combat to prevent injuries is the inspiration behind the name of the gorget on a male hummingbird. 

This name is acceptable and fitting to characterize the physical characteristics of male hummingbirds, since they fight fiercely for their own territory.

Read my article:
Hummingbird Gorgets Explained

Female
Black-Chinned Hummingbirds:

Compared to their male counterparts, female Black-chinned hummingbirds are less colorful and lack a gorget and iridescent feathers. 

White tips and beige edges on the dorsal feathers, which turn dark black as they age, adorn their dark, rounded tail, which has a white underbelly.  

They have dull metallic marbled colors on their head and backs that resemble snake scales: beige, green, white, yellow-green, and dark brown.

Read my article:
Hummingbird Parents: (Mating to Nesting)

Juvenile
Black-Chinned Hummingbirds:

Male and female juvenile Black-chinned hummingbirds initially resemble adult females until the male starts to develop the iridescent feathers that are characteristic of this species of hummingbird.

As juveniles molt into their first full set of feathers, the fluffy white undertail coverts become visible. These feathers are a distinguishing feature and are often more prominent due to their soft texture.

Baby
Black-Chinned Hummingbirds:

Baby Black-Chinned hummingbirds are tiny, naked, and helpless at birth, with closed eyes and no feathers. They grow quickly, developing gray down within a few days. By 2–3 weeks, pin feathers emerge, and their green plumage starts showing. 

Fed by regurgitated nectar and insects from their mother, they fledge the nest at about 3 weeks old.

See my article:
Baby Hummingbirds: (Egg to Fledgling)

Hear the sounds of the Black-chinned hummingbird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology link).

Black-chinned hummingbirds breed to the east of the Cascade mountain range.
By employing a decoy tactic, they are known to build their nests close to larger, busier bird nests, hence decreasing the likelihood of predators nearby. 

Of all extant mammals or vertebrates, Black-chinned hummingbirds have the least amount of genetic material known to science.
Due to their little size, they run the risk of becoming prey for larger birds that consume insects.

See my article:
10 Common Things That Kill Hummingbirds 

Particularly while protecting “their” feeders, hummingbirds come across as the most ruthless sheriff in the area due to their intense territoriality.
To defend nectar sources full of blooming plants that attract hummingbirds, they will engage in territorial conflicts.

Although Black-chinned hummingbirds are a territorial species, they will become less aggressive and learn to share if they happen to be in an area with a high hummingbird population and food sources.

See my article:
Why Hummingbirds Chase Each Other: Is it Friend or Foe?

Hummingbirds need protein from insects for muscle maintenance, feather growth, and immune health.

While nectar provides energy, bugs supply essential amino acids, fats, and minerals such as calcium and iron.

Insects also help sustain them during breeding and migration when their nutritional demands are higher.

The lifespan of a Black-chinned hummingbird is an astounding ten years, compared to other animals and birds of comparable size. 

Black-chinned hummingbirds easily hybridize and interbreed with other hummingbird species, including Costa’s and Anna’s. 

In Texas, during a banding and capture effort, the oldest known female Black-chinned hummingbird was 11 years and 2 months old.

See my article:
3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded