A Bird Who Is Far Too Cute For The Fiery Name He’s Been Given!

Distinguished by its dusky-greenish plumage, and expansive purple throat, this diminutive hummingbird features a slender, elongated bill.

Meet the Lucifer hummingbird:

Description: The Lucifer sheartail or lucifer hummingbird (Calothorax lucifer) measures 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) in length, the lucifer sheartail is a medium-sized green hummingbird with a long curved bill, compact wings, and a distinguishing white streak behind its eye. The male showcases an iridescent plumage, a forked dark tail, green crown, long magenta gorget, and white underparts.

In contrast, the larger female exhibits duller plumage, a pale throat, and white or buff feathers underneath, often adorned with crimson accents.

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Sheartail hummingbirds exhibit a remarkable adaptation known as torpor, allowing them to lower their metabolic rate and body temperature during the night. This physiological adjustment helps conserve energy, particularly in situations where food sources are scarce, aiding their survival during colder desert nights.

Distribution: This species inhabits deserts and arid regions with agave plants in the southwestern United States, spanning from southwest Texas and extreme southwestern New Mexico to southeastern Arizona. Additionally, it is found in the Madrean sky islands of the northern Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico.

Habitat: Typically, the lucifer sheartail thrives at altitudes ranging from 3,500 to 5,500 feet (1,100 to 1,700 m) in canyons, mountain slopes, and dry washes with desert shrubs and cacti. During winters, these birds embark on migratory journeys to central Mexico.

Diet: The lucifer sheartail primarily feeds on nectar extracted from agave and vibrant desert flowers, supplemented by spiders and small insects. Exhibiting the classic hummingbird flight style, they navigate through flowers, catch insects mid-flight, and follow straight flight paths to specific destinations such as nests or roosting spots. Male lucifer sheartails fiercely defend feeding areas from other males, females, and black-chinned hummingbirds.

Breeding and Behavior: In courtship displays, males attract females by hovering high above and then diving with audible wing or tail snaps, repeating this performance several times an hour. Females construct nests on desert shrubs or cacti, usually 2 to 10 feet above ground, occasionally reusing previous nest sites. A female typically lays two white eggs in the cup-like nest, having one or two broods per season. The incubation period for eggs is around 15 days, while the chicks remain in the nest for approximately 23 days.

Status: Considered locally common within its range, the lucifer sheartail is assessed as stable and holds a Least Concern status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

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