Hummingbirds of Arizona: Calliope Hummingbird

The Calliope Hummingbird

Size: With a range of 2.75 to 3.25 inches the Calliope is the smallest bird in North America with a correspondingly short and straight bill.

Identifying Characteristics: The male is much easier to identify than the female because of the streaked rosy gorget. Distinguishing the female from the female Broad-tailed Hummingbird is challenging. The female has a less dense  streaked gorget, with pale buffy flanks, though not as buffy as the Broad-tailed. The bill is shorter and thinner. There is a white spot just behind the eye. The Calliope also has a shorter tail, so its wings when folded back are longer than the tail. That is not the case with the Broad-tailed whose tail is longer than the wings when folded back.  

Habitat: Subalpine forests and meadows.

Range: Southwestern British Columbia, Western United States, and Mexico.

Seasons: Summers in the Northwestern US, Winters in Mexico; July and August best in Southern Arizona.

Where To Find: Portal, Ash Canyon, Ramsy Canyon, and Miller Canyon are the best places to look. You will need to check the Audubon's Rare Bird Alert to help locate.

Comments: The Calliope is not a common visitor to hummingbird feeders. They are more solitary than most of the other hummers. The male is particularly hard to find. They prefer flowers to feeders which makes them only an occasional visitor to feeders. And even though small, distinguishing between a hummingbird that is 3 1/4 inches versus 3 1/2 or 3 3/4 is very difficult. The females are particularly hard to distinguish from other females, especially Anna's, the Black-chinned, and Broad-tailed females.  Anna's females have a small central patch.  Black-chinned's bill is longer and there is little or buff on the flanks. The Broad-tailed  looks identical at rest, although the tail projects well beyond the wing tips. The Broad-tailed when flying has an obvious rufous color on the outer tail feathers.

Hummingbirds of Southern Arizona: Calliope Hummingbird

The Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest bird in North America. The Calliope breeds in the Northwest US and Canada, wintering in Southern Mexico. It's quite a migration for this little guy, so he stops for a month or so in Southern Arizona.

Calliope Hummingbird

Flora and Fauna of The Azure Gate Bed and Breakfast: Calliope Hummingbird

Occasionally, a Calliope Hummingbird comes our way:

Calliope Hummingbird Female

Calliope Hummingbird Female

Calliope Hummingbird - Female

Back to the series on my "5" Star Photos. Here is a female Calliope Hummingbird. Again, the smallest bird in North America. It is also unusual in that it has a very short tail -- another identifying characteristic. When the wings are folded back they extend beyond the tail. I like this photo because it has some color from the wildflowers and a muted background which lets the hummer stand out.

Calliope Hummingbird - Female

Calliope Hummingbird

The Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest bird in North America at 3 inches in length. It is thought to be the smallest migratory bird in the world with a range of British Columbia and Albert to Guatemala and Belize. They migrate through Arizona in the Spring and Summer to winter further south. The overall population is very small compared to other North American Hummingbirds. And since the Calliope does not travel in groups it is not seen as often as others with such a wide range. The male is quite striking with its "streaky" purple gorget. This photo was taken in Ash Canyon, Huachuca Mountains, Arizona.

Calliope Hummingbird - Male

Rare Hummingbirds

While on the subject of Hummingbirds I thought I would share with you photos of the rarer hummers of the US. The Calliope is found in very small numbers in the far western states and Arizona. The Berylline, White Eared, Lucifer, Violet Crowned, Plain Capped Starthroat, and Blue Throated are only found in the extreme southern Mountain Ranges of Southeast Arizona (Chiricahuas, Huachucas, and Santa Ritas).

Calliope Hummingbird Male

Berylline Hummingbird Female

White Eared Hummingbird Male

Lucifer Hummingbird Male

Violet Crowned Hummingbird

Plain Capped Starthroat

Blue Throated Hummingbird male

Return to Ash Canyon VI

Still showing photos from Ash Canyon. Here a collection of six species photographed one afternoon:

Broad Billed Hummingbird Male

Broad Tailed Hummingbird Male

Rufous Hummingbird Young Male

Calliope Hummingbird Male

Black Chinned Hummingbird Female

Magnificent Hummingbird Male

Ramsey, Miller, and Ash Canyons

Yesterday, I got a chance to get out again. This time I headed down to Ramsey, Miller, and Ash Canyons in the Huachucas.  Starting with Ramsey Canyon, which is run by the Nature Conservancy. I was pleased to find that the NC had added additional Hummingbird feeding stations further up the creek. At least three more stations with benches close enough to get a very good look and photo. Also being up the creek more and away from the visitors center means more trees and thus more cover for the hummingbirds.  I think this one of the Calliope is my favorite of those taken at Ramsey yesterday. The Calliope is the smallest bird in North America. It has a very short tail, so the wings extend beyond the tail when folded back. 

Calliope Hummingbird

Still More Hummers from Miller Canyon

Hummingbird season is just about over. A couple species stay year round in Southern Arizona.  At our place Anna's and Costa's are year round residents. Buff Bellied Hummers winter in the very southern tip of Texas, and the Ruby Throated winters in the very southern tip of Florida. Other than those three locations winter is devoid of hummingbirds in the United States. So, I have to get my last chance in at the rarer hummers. Here are a few more of my favorites from the last two weeks in Miller Canyon:

Magnificent Male

Magnificent Male

Magnificent Female

Rufous Female

White Eared Female

White Eared Female

Broad Tailed Female

Broad Tailed Female

Calliope Female

Blue Throat Male

Hummingbirds of Miller Canyon

As I mentioned yesterday my trip to Miller Canyon (which is about 1 1/2 hours from us) was productive.  While there were not the number of hummingbirds as there are during the summer, it was wonderful to see (from the top): the male blue throat hummingbird, the male broad bill hummingbird, the female broad bill hummingbird eating, the calliope hummingbird in mid air, the magnificent hummingbird, and the white eared hummingbird. Miller Canyon is quite simply one of, if not, the best spot for hummers in the US.