How to Identify a Black-Chinned Hummingbird
Updated: Apr. 26, 2023Iridescent purple bow ties are the telltale signs of black-chinned hummingbirds.
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With a range from southern Mexico to British Columbia, black-chinned hummingbirds are commonly seen, yet often overlooked in favor of flashier western species. Let’s learn more about this species, including how to identify the males and females and details about their call, favorite plants and migration habits.
What Does a Black-Chinned Hummingbird Look Like?
Black-chinneds are closely related to the ruby-throated hummingbirds of the East, and ranges of the two meet in central Texas. Females and immatures of both species are almost identical, with a metallic green back, white undersides and white tips on the outer tail feathers.
Jason says black-chinneds are challenging to identify when compared to Anna’s that might share the same range. “Structure can be more useful than color,” he says. “Note the long and slightly decurved bill of the black-chinned, and the generally thinner body shape and neck compared to similar species such as Anna’s and Costa’s.”
In black-chinneds, Jason says, “Look for a black throat with a thin, deep purple gorget bow tie only visible when the light perfectly reflects to the viewer’s eye.”
Range and Habitat
“Black-chinneds have the second broadest breeding distribution, following the ruby-throated hummingbirds, and occupy a variety of mostly inland habitats including dry scrub, riparian and oak woodlands, and suburban areas where they regularly visit gardens and feeders across their breeding range,” says Jason Fidorra, district wildlife biologist for Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
“In the summer they breed primarily in the U.S. from the Rockies and westward, plus western Texas and Oklahoma,” Jason says. “They’re a known and important species to many gardeners, despite their fairly subtle appearance for a hummingbird.”
Migration
Black-chinned hummingbirds undergo twice yearly journeys to and from their breeding grounds. They migrate up into the western United States in the summer from western Mexico, where they spend their winters. Their migration range overlaps their breeding range and includes virtually the entire West from the Rockies to the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. Some birds winter along the Gulf Coast of Texas.
Prior to southward migration, black-chinned hummingbirds often appear at high elevations, seeking nectar flowers that bloom late in summer.
How to Attract a Black-Chinned Hummingbird
Black-chinneds are abundant and adaptable, so it’s easy to encourage them to remain in backyards. Tice Supplee, director of bird conservation for Audubon Southwest, says, “People who have a lot of plants and places for hummingbirds to find cover will have them. I encourage people to put in a water feature and grow native plants.” Choose natives for your region, such as penstemons and sages that thrive in much of the West.
Tice also highly recommends a water feature that gently cascades. “When the hummingbird can hover in, it works perfectly,” she says. “Or use a base dish for potted plants and just put one of the drip irrigation emitters in that.”
7 Native Plants to Feed Western Hummingbirds
- American water-willow
- Bee balm
- Columbine
- Penstemon
- Powder puff tree
- Red-flowering currant
- Salvia
Nesting Habits
Black-chinned hummingbirds might build nests in Cooper’s hawk territories as a strategy to protect them from other predators, according to Tice Supplee.
Black-Chinned Hummingbird Call
Their high-pitched warbling song is seldom heard. You may hear chipping calls when they’re chasing intruders. The male’s aerial courtship display produces a trill at the bottom of the dive.
Learn about the many sounds of hummingbirds.
Species Behavior
When feeding, black-chinned hummingbirds wag and fan their tails. They often find a favorite perch from which they can oversee their territory and will return to that perch repeatedly.
Check out jaw-dropping facts about hummingbirds.
