Hummingbirds

In addition to our very large raptors, Colorado National Monument is home to some of the world’s smallest birds. Hummingbirds are a common sight, or sound, down in the canyons. Although there are over 350 species of hummingbird throughout the Americas, only about 15 live in the United States. Four of those have been found here at the monument.

While they occasionally catch insects to eat, especially in the winter, hummingbirds have an incredibly high metabolism, which is why their main food source is nectar. Nectar is densely packed with sugars and carbohydrates that provide a lot of energy. Most hummingbirds have specific adaptations to feed more easily. Long, slender bills allow the bird to reach into flowers, and extendable tongues can quickly lap up large amounts of nectar. Unlike other birds, they can also detect sweet flavors, which helps them to find the best nectar. Some flowering plants have also evolved to be pollinated by specific species of hummingbirds.

Another unique feature of hummingbirds is how they fly. A hummingbird can flap its wings extremely fast, up to 80 times per second! This allows the birds to hover in place and increases maneuverability. They can adjust the positioning of their wings and tail to allow for steady flight even in heavy rain or wind. The speed of their wingbeats creates a buzzing sound that is audible to humans, giving hummingbirds their name.

 

Broad-tailed hummingbirds defending territory in the monument

NPS Photo / VIP C DeKalb

Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)

At 4 inches long, this a medium sized hummingbird. Both sexes have iridescent green backs, long black tails, and a white ring around each eye. Males also have a distinctive scarlet patch on their neck, called a gorget. Females are paler, with spots on their cheeks and a cinnamon color on their sides. This species does breed here in Western Colorado, though they migrate south to Mexico for the winter.

Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

Measuring in at about 3 inches, male birds are smaller than the females but more colorful. Males have a white patch on their breast, and sometimes green on their backs, but most of their feathers are rufous in color. The female has green, white, and some iridescent orange feathers in the center of the throat, and a dark tail with white tips and rufous base. These hummingbirds don’t live in the monument year-round but pass through in mid-late summer during migration.

Black Chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)

This an average sized hummingbird at about 3 inches in length. Both male and female birds have iridescent green feathers on their backs and white on their bellies. Males also have a dark chin and face, with an iridescent purple gorget. These hummingbirds also live and breed at Colorado National Monument.

Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens)

Also known as Rivoli’s hummingbird, this one of the two largest hummingbird species in the United States. Males and females both appear dark in color until the light catches their feathers just right, revealing an iridescent green-bronze color. In addition, males also have a violet crown and bright blue-green gorget. This hummingbird does not normally spend much time this far north, preferring the desert mountains of Mexico and Arizona, but at least one has been confirmed to have visited the park.