Magnificent Hummingbird
Encyclopedia
The Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) is a large hummingbird
that breeds in mountains from the southwestern United States
to western Panama
. It is the only member of the genus Eugenes, although the northern, nominate subspecies E. fulgens fulgens has on occasion been separated from the larger, southern race of Costa Rica
and Panama, E. fulgens spectabilis, as Rivoli's Hummingbird.
This bird inhabits the edges and clearings of montane oak
forests from about 2000 meters to the timberline. It is 13 centimeters long. The male weighs 10 grams and the female 8.5. The black bill is long and straight to slightly curved. Both sexes look very dark unless the sun catches the iridescence
of the plumage
and the brilliant colors flash in the sunlight.
The adult male is green-bronze dorsally, becoming more bronzed on the black-tipped tail. The crown is violet, the throat gorget
bright blue-green, and the rest of the head black apart from a white spot behind the eye. The chest is green-bronze and the belly greyish.
The female Magnificent Hummingbird is bronze-green dorsally and has a dull grey ventral coloring. There is a white stripe behind her eye. Immature birds are like the female, but darker and browner.
The female is entirely responsible for nest building and incubation
. She lays two white eggs in her bulky cup nest about 3 meters up near the tip of a descending branch stem. Incubation takes 15–19 days, and fledging another 20–26.
The food of this species is nectar, taken from a variety of flowers, and some small insect
s. Magnificent Hummingbird males perch conspicuously and defend their feeding territories aggressively. The call of this species is a guttural drrrk.
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
that breeds in mountains from the southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
to western Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. It is the only member of the genus Eugenes, although the northern, nominate subspecies E. fulgens fulgens has on occasion been separated from the larger, southern race of Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and Panama, E. fulgens spectabilis, as Rivoli's Hummingbird.
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
forests from about 2000 meters to the timberline. It is 13 centimeters long. The male weighs 10 grams and the female 8.5. The black bill is long and straight to slightly curved. Both sexes look very dark unless the sun catches the iridescence
Iridescence
Iridescence is generally known as the property of certain surfaces which appear to change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes...
of the plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
and the brilliant colors flash in the sunlight.
The adult male is green-bronze dorsally, becoming more bronzed on the black-tipped tail. The crown is violet, the throat gorget
Gorget (birds)
A gorget is a patch of colored feathers found on the throat or upper breast of some species of birds. It is a feature found on many male hummingbirds, particularly those found in North America; these gorgets are typically iridescent. Other species, such as the Purple-throated Fruitcrow and Chukar...
bright blue-green, and the rest of the head black apart from a white spot behind the eye. The chest is green-bronze and the belly greyish.
The female Magnificent Hummingbird is bronze-green dorsally and has a dull grey ventral coloring. There is a white stripe behind her eye. Immature birds are like the female, but darker and browner.
The female is entirely responsible for nest building and incubation
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
. She lays two white eggs in her bulky cup nest about 3 meters up near the tip of a descending branch stem. Incubation takes 15–19 days, and fledging another 20–26.
The food of this species is nectar, taken from a variety of flowers, and some small insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. Magnificent Hummingbird males perch conspicuously and defend their feeding territories aggressively. The call of this species is a guttural drrrk.
External links
- Magnificent Hummingbird videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Magnificent Hummingbird photos South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Photo (high resolution); Article - borderland-tours
