Weighing As Much As A Ping Pong Ball, They Might Be The Smallest, But Don’t Be Fooled, They Are Also The Fiercest!

Compact and diminutive, this hummingbird boasts a small size and a short tail with the male being particularly unique!

Meet the Calliope Hummingbird:

Characterized by glossy green plumage on the back and crown complemented by white underparts, the adult male calliope hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope), features wine-red streaks on the gorget, green flanks, and a dark tail. During territorial disputes or courtship, the dark red feathers of its gorget expand outward, creating a distinctive appearance.

Females and immatures display a pinkish wash on the flanks, dark throat streaks, and a dark tail with white tips.

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While similar birds such as the rufous hummingbird and Allen’s hummingbird exist, the Calliope hummingbird distinguishes itself with its smaller size and less pronounced rufous markings.

It breeds in western North America, from southern British Columbia and Alberta south to Colorado and southern California, migrating through Arizona and New Mexico to winter in southwestern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.

Nesting at various altitudes in open shrub habitats, from 600 ft (180 m) to over 11,000 ft (3,400 m), this hummingbird migrates to take advantage of late-summer wildflowers in the mountains of western North America.

Feeding primarily on nectar, these birds play a crucial role in plant pollination. Their unique humming sound, generated by rapid wingbeats, serves as audible communication during flight and hovering.

Males engage in elaborate courtship displays, producing a loud buzzing sound by hovering at accelerated wingbeat frequencies and diving at high speeds. The female, responsible for nest building and incubation, lays two eggs, and the young become capable of flight about 20 days after hatching.

Despite their small size and long-distance migration, Calliope hummingbirds maintain a relatively stable breeding population of approximately 4.5 million as of 2019. Their main threats include long cold spells, reducing the availability of insects and nectar, and occasional conflicts with other birds, such as Wright Flycatchers, Western Robins, and Red-tailed Hawks, whom they fearlessly confront.

The Calliope hummingbird holds the title of the smallest breeding bird in Canada and the United States, measuring 7–10 cm (2.8–3.9 in) in length, with a wingspan of 11 cm (4.3 in) and a weight ranging from 2 to 3 g (0.071 to 0.106 oz). As of 2019, calliope hummingbirds have a relatively stable breeding population of about 4.5 million.

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A Highly Ornate Fowl Boasting An Iridescent Mantle of Gleaming Scales and Highly Light-reflective Plumes, Showcasing Highly Light-reflective Violet Proximal Edges!

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