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Bumblebee Hummingbird

Atthis heloisaOrder: APODIFORMESFamily: Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

Bumblebee Hummingbird Portrait_2
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Bumblebee Hummingbird Variations

Bumblebee Hummingbird: Female
Default description
Bumblebee Hummingbird: Female
Bumblebee Hummingbird: Male
Default description
Bumblebee Hummingbird: Male

General

Bumblebee Hummingbird: One of the smallest hummingbirds at 2.75 inches with green upperparts, sides, and white underparts. The gorget is violet-red and the rounded tail is green with a rufous base. Female has whitish throat with bold lines of dusky spots, and buff underparts with light rufous-washed sides. Juveniles resemble females, but the juvenile male has some pink on throat.

Range and Habitat

Bumblebee Hummingbird: Native to montane forests of Mexico north to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Has been spotted twice in the Huachuca Mountains of southern Arizona.

Voice Text

"chip", "ssssssssiu"

Interesting Facts

  • The Bumblebee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world and usually mistaken for an insect.
  • In Cuba it is called the "zunzuncito" or loosely translated, "little buzz buzz".
  • A group of hummingbirds has many collective nouns, including a “bouquet", "glittering", "hover", "shimmer", and "tune” of hummingbirds.


Author

Crystal Adams

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Range Map for Bumblebee Hummingbird
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family
Species Atthis heloisa
Length2.75 Inches
Wingspan4 Inches

Bumblebee Hummingbird

Bumblebee Hummingbird: One of the smallest hummingbirds at 2.75 inches with green upperparts, sides, and white underparts. The gorget is violet-red and the rounded tail is green with a rufous base. This bird can hover in a horizontal positon with it's tail cocked vertical as it feeds on nectar.

● Song: "chip", "ssssssssiu"

● Foraging & Feeding: Bumblebee Hummingbird: Hovers to feed on nectar from flowers. Catches insects in midair, and plucks insects and spiders out of webs. Feeds and perches at low to mid-levels. This bird can hover in a horizontal position with its tail cocked vertical as it feeds on nectar.

● Breeding & nesting: Bumblebee Hummingbird: Two white eggs are laid in a cup-shaped nest of lichen, spider webs, plant down, bark fiber, and moss. Female builds the nest 3-20 feet above the ground in the limb of a conifer. Eggs are incubated by the female for 15-16 days. Young fledge at 18-22 days.

● Similar species: Bumblebee Hummingbird: Calliope Hummingbird is smaller, male has violet and white streaked gorget, notched tail lacks rufous feathers with white tips, female has less white on tips and no rufous at base of tail feathers. Costa's Hummingbird has no rufous on base of tail, male has violet on crown and forehead, female has white underparts, lacks streaking on throat.

Flight Pattern

Swift flight on rapid wing beats.
Bumblebee Hummingbird Body Illustration_2
● Range & Habitat: Bumblebee Hummingbird: Native to montane forests of Mexico north to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Has been spotted twice in the Huachuca Mountains of southern Arizona.
BreedingPolygamous, Solitary nester
PopulationRare
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight0.1 Ounces