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Violet-crowned Hummingbird

Amazilia violicepsOrder: APODIFORMESFamily: Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

Violet-crowned-Hummingbird Portrait
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General

Violet-crowned Hummingbird: Medium-sized hummingbird with iridescent bronze-green upperparts and white underparts. Cap is purple-blue; throat is white and lacks gorget feathers. Bill is bright red with black tip. Female has duller crown.

Range and Habitat

Violet-crowned Hummingbird: Breeds in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Spends winters in Mexico. Preferred habitats include canyons and streamside growth.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"ts-ts-ts-ts", "chips-chips-chips-chips"

Interesting Facts

  • The Violet-crowned Hummingbird bird is the only American hummingbird lacking a brightly colored gorget.
  • This hummingbird is commonly found in stands of sycamore and cottonwood trees along streams in desert canyons.
  • A group of hummingbirds has many collective nouns, including a “bouquet", "glittering", "hover", "shimmer", and "tune” of hummingbirds.


Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Violet-crowned 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 Amazilia violiceps
Length4.25 - 4.5 Inches
Wingspan5.5 Inches

Violet-crowned Hummingbird

Violet-crowned Hummingbird: Medium-sized hummingbird with iridescent bronze-green upperparts and white underparts. Cap is purple-blue; throat is white and lacks gorget feathers. The bill is bright red with black tip. Feeds on nectar and insects. Direct and hovering flight with very rapid wing beats.

● Song: "ts-ts-ts-ts", "chips-chips-chips-chips"

● Foraging & Feeding: Violet-crowned Hummingbird: Feeds on nectar and insects; forages while hovering.

● Breeding & nesting: Violet-crowned Hummingbird: Two white eggs are laid in a downy, lichen-covered nest built on a horizontal branch. Incubation ranges from 13 to 15 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Violet-crowned Hummingbird: Red-based bill, white underparts, and purple crown distinguish this species from other North American hummingbirds.

Flight Pattern

Quick flight with extremely rapid wing beats.
Violet-crowned-Hummingbird-Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Violet-crowned Hummingbird: Breeds in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Spends winters in Mexico. Preferred habitats include canyons and streamside growth.
BreedingPolygamous, Promiscuous
PopulationYes but uncommon
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.2 Ounces