The Plain-capped Starthroat is one of the few hummingbirds without “hummingbird” in its common name. A resident of Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson, it is easy to spot despite the plain sounding name. The Plain-capped Starthroat actually has a not-so-plain cap, as it is iridescent green. Their throat is red. Their white face has a black stripe. The underside of the bird is gray. Look for a notched tail with white tips and a black band at the end.
Although the Plain-capped Starthroat will visit flowers and bird feeders, it prefers insects when it can get them. For a hummingbird garden to work for this species, you will need plenty of insect attracting plants as well as those with hummer preferred flowers such as penstemon species, Red Salvia and hummingbird trumpet.
Reference: The Nature of Madera Canyon by Douglas W. Moore, Friends of Madera, 1999; whatbird.com
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