Archilochus alexandri
Hummingbirds in Utah are preparing for the migration that will take them south for the winter. Before they go, it is imperative that they build up their fat reserves, so be sure to keep your hummingbird nectar feeders up and full with fresh nectar.
The hummingbird is the flying jewel of our suburban backyards. Hummingbirds are the smallest of all North American birds. Black-chinned hummingbirds spend the spring and summer throughout the western U.S., primarily west of the Rocky Mountain range. They are spread north to the Canadian border and south to Mexico.
The male black-chinned gets its name from his black chin that lights up in a dazzling purple when he flashes his gorget. The gorget is on the front of the neck. It looks like a neon sign that wards off encroaching males and welcomes females into his breeding territory. He has a greenish head with a black throat (when not flashing the gorget) bordered by a white collar. The bill is straight and black. The underparts are whitish with dusky green flanks. The upperparts are greenish.
Females and juveniles look alike, featuring greenish upperparts, dusky sides and flanks. The throat is whitish, as are the underparts. The green tail is rounded with white corners.
Black-chins, like other hummingbirds, are neotropical birds that migrate to the tropics in the fall, returning in the spring. They have one of the longest migrations when you measure the distance they must advance their tiny 3.75-inch body on each leg of a 2,000-mile journey, as they migrate from Mexico and Central America to North American and back. They make the journey across the Gulf of Mexico in one flight at night. It is a remarkable bird with untold energy.
All hummingbird species, like the black-chinned, are easily attracted to backyard nectar feeders. They have binocular vision and can see your feeder from about ¾ mile away. Their tongue is longer than the bill. They can lap up nectar at 16 licks per second, give or take a lick. Their metabolism is incredible; a human would need to consume approximately
20,000 calories a day to keep even with a hummingbird.
