Black-chinned Hummingbirds
"Black-chinned" hummingbird seems to be an odd name for this species, after all, most male hummers in the United States appear to have black chins and throats when seen in poor sunlight. However, when the light hits at a good angle, the gorgets of hummers, other than black-chinneds, light up in vivid iridescent colors from the base of the bill down to the bottom of the throat.
This is only partially true in black-chinneds, while the throat glows a beautiful dark purple, the chin remains a flat black under any light conditions.
The Black-chinned Hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri) are about 3.75 inches in length (9.5 cm). They feed on nectar from flowers and like most hummingbirds, they need regular feedings of the sugary liquid to maintain their fast metabolism.
They also eat insects and spiders for protein, but they burn up their energy at an incredible rate, beating their wings up to 80 times per second. Males are metallic green, with a hard-to see violet band at the base of their black throats.
