Calliope hummingbird

Stellula calliope

Photo by Frank Leung (Musée Virtuel du Canada)

Common name:
calliope hummingbird (en); (pt); colibri calliope (fr); colibrí calíope (es); sternelfe (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Apodiformes
Family Trichilidae


Range:
This species breeds in the western United States and in south-western Canada, migrating south to winter in southern Mexico.


Size:
This tiny hummingbirds is 7-9 cm long and has a wingspan of 11 cm, weighing just 2-3 g.


Habitat:
They breed in moist scrublands, grasslands and open mountain forests, often near streams, at altitudes of 200-3.400 m and winter in similar habitats but also in agricultural areas.


Diet:
Calliope hummingbirds mainly eat nectar, especially of red tubular flowers, but will also take small insects and spiders.


Breeding:
These birds nest in a compact cup of plant down, moss, bark and fibres, with lichens on the outside, held together with spider webs. The nest is placed in a twig or branch of a pine or other conifer, or sometimes in a scrub. The female lays 2 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 15-16 days. The chicks are fed by the female alone and fledge 18-21 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 1 million individuals. The population has had a stable trend over the last 4 decades.