Hummingbirds are some of the most delightful visitors to your backyard feeder. They zoom in for a quick drink of nectar, then fly off. Some people call them “flying jewels” because of their iridescent feathers. The Black-chinned Hummingbird is one such flying jewel, a common species in western North America. Continue reading to learn 10 facts about Black-chinned Hummingbirds.
10 Facts About Black-Chinned Hummingbirds
1. They only live in the West.
Most hummingbird species in North America reside in the western half of the continent and this includes the Black-chinned Hummingbird. This hummingbird resides in the southwestern United States, north into the Rockies and west to the coast of California.
Two populations live on either side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains– one in central and southern California, and the other in the Rocky Mountains and Southwest, as far north as eastern Washington and as far south as Texas.
Populations migrate between the United States and the southwestern coast of Mexico.
2. They are easy to attract to bird feeders.
Black-chinned hummingbirds adapt easily to human development or environmental disturbance. They are sure to be wherever people put out hummingbird feeders or where nectar-producing flowers grow.
Encourage a Black-chinned Hummingbird to visit your feeder much like you would any hummingbird. Fill a hummingbird feeder reservoir with 4 parts water and 1 part white table sugar. Do not use any other kind of sugar. Mix until dissolved and hang up your feeder.
If you have the option, try to hang the feeder adjacent to flowering plants that hummingbirds already visit. They will notice the feeder more quickly.
3. Spot them on exposed perches.
Because of their mostly-nondescript feathers, Black-chinned Hummingbirds can be difficult to spot. Sometimes birdwatchers will hear the rapid beating of their wings before they spot the quick-moving bird.
But every bird has to take a break, and Black-chinned Hummingbirds are no exception to that rule. Males prefer to rest on exposed perches in areas where they can survey their territory. An exposed perch could be a branch near a feeder or at the top of a tree.
