Calliope Hummingbird Male

This is around the time of year I expect to start seeing the Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) at my feeders. Click on photos for full sized images.

Calliope and Anna's Male Hummingbirds

The Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest North American breeding bird1. The males arrive on breeding grounds before the females and, according to their range map, they probably breed here in Shasta County.

Calliope Hummingbird Range Map

I haven’t seen a female yet this year either but here is a photo of one I took back in April of 2010.

Calliope Hummingbird Female

The adult male is the only North American hummingbird whose iridescent gorget is divided into separate magenta-red rays…

Calliope and Anna's Male Hummingbirds

which can be elevated in elegant star-burst display against the white background of the throat.

Calliope and Anna's Male Hummingbirds

I took a few shots of the male Calliope Hummer a few years ago, perched next to a male Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) seen in the background here for comparison.

Calliope and Anna's Male Hummingbirds

and here…

Calliope and Anna's Male Hummingbirds

that male Anna’s Hummingbird is looking a bit suspicious.

Calliope and Anna's Male Hummingbirds

He’s moving closer.

Calliope and Anna's Male Hummingbirds

This will give you an idea of the size difference between these two birds.

Calliope and Anna's Male Hummingbirds

Doing some research for this post, I discovered that Calliope Hummingbirds typically build their nests in lodgepole, ponderosa, and Jeffrey pines, silver fir, Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, western hemlock, western red-cedar, apple, and alder; characteristically under an overhanging branch1.

You can see a photo of one of their nests here. Since I have Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir on my property I decided I will see if I can spot one of these little nests.

In the meantime, here is a shot of the male Calliope Hummingbird after the sun hit the feeders.

Calliope and Anna's Male Hummingbirds

If you want to see the best photograph of a male Calliope Hummingbird displaying that I have ever seen, check out this photo by Wally Rufous! It will blow you away!

References: 1Birds of North America Online

Written by Larry
Larry Jordan was introduced to birding after moving to northern California where he was overwhelmed by the local wildlife, forcing him to buy his first field guide just to be able to identify all the species visiting his yard. Building birdhouses and putting up feeders brought the avian fauna even closer and he was hooked. Larry wanted to share his passion for birds and conservation and hatched The Birder's Report in September of 2007. His recent focus is on bringing the Western Burrowing Owl back to life in California where he also monitors several bluebird trails. He is a BirdLife Species Champion and contributes to several other conservation efforts, being the webmaster for Wintu Audubon Society and the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Urban Bird Foundation. He is now co-founder of a movement to create a new revenue stream for our National Wildlife Refuges with a Wildlife Conservation Pass.