Bird GuideHummingbirdsXantus's Hummingbird

Xantus’s Hummingbird

Xantus's Hummingbird
Basilinna xantusii
At a Glance Range & Identification Conservation Back to Top

At a Glance

Related to the White-eared Hummingbird but resident only in Baja, this hummingbird is the most distinctive of the few Baja specialty birds. A female of this species once strayed north to Ventura, California, where it actually built a nest and laid eggs that did not hatch. Another once strayed all the way north to British Columbia.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from by Kenn Kaufman漏 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Hummingbirds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Desert and Arid Habitats, Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Behavior
Flitter, Hovering, Rapid Wingbeats

Range & Identification

Description

3.25-3.75" (8-9 cm). Very rare visitor from Baja. Male is mostly glittering green with wide white eyebrow, buff belly, reddish in tail, red bill with black tip. Female is duller, with buff extending up onto throat.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow
Wing Shape
Narrow, Rounded, Short
Tail Shape
Notched, Rounded, Square-tipped

Songs and Calls

A low, fast rattle, also high chips (which appear to be a territorial warning).

Conservation

Conservation Status