Hummingbird pictures

Black-chinned Hummingbird young male

Black-chinned Hummingbird

The Black-chinned Hummingbird females and immature males are small and slender hummingbirds with plain plumage. Black-chinned females and immature males may be distinguished from the similar Anna’s Hummingbirds by their smaller size and lighter colored breast. The Black-chinned Hummingbird pumps its tail up and down as it hovers. Bird watchers often use this signature movement to identify them, particularly at crowded feeders with multiple species present.

The small purple gorget patch visible in these photos is probably the beginning of the adult male purple gorget. (This picture was originally tagged as a female. We think that was incorrect. December 2013.)

These photos were taken at Beatty’s Guest Ranch in Miller Canyon, Arizona in 2012.

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Allen’s Hummingbird

A male Allen’s Hummingbird perches on a fuschia branch between flights.

This male hummingbird repeatedly returned to his fuschia perch. He was flying off to feed from the blossoms or to be involved in a series of chases with other Allen’s Hummingbirds. Several of these small hummingbirds were in the immediate area. They were flying very fast. The birds were often vocal as they darted through garden plants in coastal Southern California. It was easier to hear the hummingbirds than to see them as they chased each other on this day.

The photo of the male’s front shows the reddish orange coloration on the throat feathers (gorget). The photo of the male’s side view shows his orange and green coloration on the flank and back.

The Allen’s Hummingbirds feed off of a variety of flowering garden plants in the Newport Coast and Corona del Mar area. The hummingbird plants include Lion’s tail, Cape Honeysuckle, fuschia, fairy duster, pentas, and bottle brush trees.

While we were at this location, the birds were feeding from the flowers quietly. At another location, the feeding Allen’s Hummingbird would sometimes make a “chip!” sound intermittently while hovering and feeding.

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Black-chinned Hummingbird

A male Black-chinned Hummingbird shows his purple throat patch (also known as a “gorget”) while hovering in a patch of desert honeysuckle (Anisacanthus thurberi).

The mature male Black-chinned Hummingbird looks like its head and throat are completely black … until the light hits it just right. Then you can see the flash of iridescent bright purple in the throat area.

Black-chinned Hummingbirds are small, about 3 inches long. The dark head and small size make this hummingbird relatively easy to identify. They pump their tails while hovering and are fast flyers. You can hear the distinctive buzzing hum made by the adult males’ wings as they maneuver around a feeder at high speed or when they fly off abruptly.

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