Another species of hummingbird found in Madera Canyon of the Santa Rita Mountains to the south of Tucson, is the colorful Black-chinned Hummingbird.
Like many hummingbird species, the body is iridescent green. This species has gray on the underside, and a black throat edged in purple, while the chest is white. There is a distinctive white spot behind the eye. The forked tail is dark green, and has black feathers on the outer section. Their curve beak is perfect for nectar gathering.
This ingenious bird builds nests out of spider webs, which expand as the babies grow giving them some extra room. When weather is cold, the Black-chinned Hummingbird ups its feeding to stay warm, consuming three times its body weight in just one day.
A group of hummers has a number of collective names you can use to describe. A “bouquet”, “glittering”, “hover” and “shimmer” are all applicable. You can also call a group a “tune” of hummingbirds.
Reference: The Nature of Madera Canyon by Douglas W. Moore, Friends of Madera, 1999; whatbird. com
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