Costa's hummingbird

Costa's hummingbird (Calypte costae) is a bird species in the family Trochilidae.

Costa's hummingbird
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Calypte
Species:
C. costae
Binomial name
Calypte costae
(Bourcier, 1839)
Range of C. costae
  Breeding range
  Year-round range
  Wintering range

Description

This species is very small, a mature adult growing to only 3–3.5 in (7.6–8.9 cm) in length, a wingspan of 11 cm,[2] and an average weight of 3.05 g for males and 3.22 g for females.[3] The male Costa's has a mainly green back and flanks, a small black tail and wings, and patches of white below their gorgeted throat and tail. Its most distinguishing feature is its vibrant purple cap and throat with the throat feathers flaring out and back behind its head. The female Costa's hummingbird is not as distinct as the male, having grayish-green above with a white underbelly.

Distribution
Female

Costa's hummingbird is fairly common in the arid brushy deserts and any nearby gardens of the Southwestern United States and the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico.

Behaviour

Courtship

The male Costa's hummingbird's courtship display is a spirited series of swoops and arcing dives, carefully utilizing a proper angle to the sun to show off his violet plumage to impress prospective mates. Each high-speed dive will also pass within inches of the female, perched on a nearby branch, which will be accented by a high-pitched shriek that is produced by the tail. Separately, the male will perch and produce similar sounds in his song—except, the song is vocal rather than tail-generated.

Nest

The female hummingbird constructs a small cup-shaped nest out of plant fibers, down and at times spider silk, coated with lichen to hold it together.[4] The nest will be situated above ground on a yucca stalk or tree limb.

Chicks

The female lays just two eggs, which are white in color, which she will incubate for 15 to 18 days before the young hatch. The young Costa's hummingbirds leave the nest after 20 to 23 days.

Diet

Like all other hummingbird species, Costa's hummingbird feeds on flower nectar and any tiny insects that it happens to find in the flower petals.

Torpor

As with other species, it can slow down its metabolism during cold nights when it enters a hibernation-like state known as torpor and its heart and respiration rate are dramatically slowed.

Hybrids

Hybrids between this bird and Anna's hummingbird, the black-chinned hummingbird as well as the broad-tailed hummingbird are known.[5]

Meaning of scientific name

The binomial commemorates French nobleman Louis Marie Pantaleon Costa, Marquis de Beauregard (1806–1864).

Conservation

The IUCN describes them as of least concern. The population is stable and there are no known threats. They are found in at least one protected area.[6]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Calypte costae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Oiseaux.net. "Colibri de Costa - Calypte costae - Costa's Hummingbird". www.oiseaux.net. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
  3. "Costa's Hummingbird". www.hummingbirds.net. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
  4. Woods, Robert S. (1922). "The Development of Young Costa Hummingbirds" . The Condor. 24 (6): 189–193. doi:10.2307/1362578.
  5. Huey, Laurence M. (1944). "A hybrid Costa's x Broad-tailed hummingbird" (PDF). The Auk. 61 (4): 636–637. doi:10.2307/4080185.
  6. "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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