The Black-Chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri, has the most extensive breeding range of all northwestern hummingbirds. It regularly occurs throughout western North America, from as far north as British Columbia south to northern Mexico, and from coastal California to central Texas, where its population is highest in density. During the winters, the Black-chin migrates to southern California, southern Arizona, southern Texas and Mexico (Peterson 1961; Gough et al. 1998).

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Breeding

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Breeding

Global Range: Breeding range extends from southwestern British Columbia, Washington, central Idaho, and northwestern Montana south to northern Baja California, northern Sonora, northwestern Chihuahua, northern Coahuila, and southern Texas, and east to western Wyoming, eastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico, and central Texas. Winter range extends from northern Mexico and southern Texas (casual) south to southern Baja California and southern Mexico mainland, casually to Louisiana and Florida.

Black-chins are sexually dimorphic, meaning that the male and female look different from one another. As with other species of hummingbirds the male is the more brightly colored and distinctive than the female. The male can be identified by its black face. Its chin and upper throat area are also black, but the lower throat area is an iridescent blue-violet. This is bordered by a white collar below. The back and crown of the male is a metallic green color. The tail feathers of the male are black. The females have the same bright green back and crown, but differ by its green face, white breast and throat area with a few black spots. The female Black-chin also has white tips on the outer feathers of her tail. Both sexes have a white spot behind their eyes and a straight long thin bill. The Black-chinned Hummingbird is considered a small hummingbird, its length measuring 9.0 to 9.5cm. Females are usually larger than the males, they weigh on average about 3.5 g., the male average weight is 3.0 g. (Dawson 1923; Terres 1980).

Average mass: 3.1 g.

Length: 10 cm

Weight: 4 grams

• Terrestrial

Although Black-Chinned Hummingbirds are territorial, they are willing to share a desirable territory, as long as the food supply is abundant. The Black-chinned Hummingbird usually nests between 1-2.5m, (4-8 feet) high and often over water. In early summer Black-chins can be found at the bottom of foothill canyons. They will remain in the area until late summer when the food supply of flowers ends. Then, Black-chins will migrate to higher elevations, sometimes 1829-2591m to follow the late flower season. Black-chins also live in semi-wooded canyons, chaparral, and foothill suburbs (Terres 1980; Peterson 1961; Dawson 1923).

Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland ; chaparral ; forest ; mountains

Comments: Habitat includes semiarid areas near water, canyons and slopes, chaparral, riparian woodlands, open woodlands, scrub, parks, orchards, and gardens. Nests are in trees or shrubs (e.g., alder, cottonwood, oak, sycamore, laurel, willow, apple, orange), often along canyons or streams or over small or dry creek beds. Average height of the nest above ground is less than 10 feet (3 meters).

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Breeding populations in most of the United States move south into Mexico for winter. They depart California, Oregon, and Washington generally in September-October, and most are gone from Texas by mid-October. The species arrives in Texas and Arizona generally beginning in late February-March, and it reaches northern breeding areas by mid-May.

Banding studies in southern Arizona indicate that many individuals follow the same migration path in successive years.

The diet of the Black-chinned Hummingbird consists of nectar, pollen, insects and sugar water from feeders. The black-chin prefers nectar from flowers of Tree Tobacco Nicotiana glauca, Scarlet Larkspur Delphinium cardinale, and Desert Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens. Black-chins dart out into the open to catch flying insects or gleans them from foliage to provide the protein necessary for proper development of their young (Terres 1980; DeGraaf et al. 1998).

Comments: Visits flowers and feeds on nectar and insects. Also forages by darting out from a perch to catch insects in the air.

Primarily solitary except for females and young during the nesting season.

Range lifespan

Status: wild: 11 (high) years.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 121 months.

The nest is built in about 3 days by the female Black-chin. She selects a drooping branch of a bush or a fork in a tree limb for the nest. The female collects the down of young sycamore trees or other plants and binds them together with spider webs to give the nest an elastic, feltlike quality. The small, deep cuplike nest measures about 3.5cm (1.5 inches) in diameter. The nest is able to stretch to double its size as the young grow and need more room. Two to three tiny eggs are laid sometime between early April to the end of September. They measure on average, 12 x 8mm. Newly laid eggs are white with a pinkish tint, changing later to a dull white or gray color right before they hatch. The incubation period usually lasts 13-16 days. The offspring usually fledge after about 20 days (Cassidy 1990; Dawson 1923).

Nesting begins as early as late March or early April and may extend through August. Clutch size is usually 2. Incubation, by the female lasts 13-16 days. Young are tended by the female, leave the nest in about 3 weeks, and are fed by the female for several days after fledging. Females may begin a second nesting before the young of the first nesting are fully independent (Johnsgard 1983).

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N4B - Apparently Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Unknown

The Black-chinned hummingbird may play a role in the pollination of various species of plants.

Comments: Appears to constitute a superspecies with A. COLUBRIS (AOU 1998).