The Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest bird found in the
United States, weighing only one-tenth of one ounce, and only reaching 3 inches
in length. Despite their small size and delicate appearance, they breed in
the relatively cold and harsh higher elevations of the western United States and
Canada, and migrate all the way to southern Mexico for the winter.
its summer breeding habitat, they are found at high elevations in the western
mountains of the U.S. and Mexico. They prefer shrubby areas, often near a
water source. They commonly use clear-cut forest areas that have
experienced some shrubby second-growth. They can be found in nearly any
kind of habitat during migration.
Diet: Feeds primarily on nectar. Also will feed on tiny
insects, and will drink sap from holes created by sapsuckers.
Behavior: Unobtrusive and less aggressive than
larger hummingbirds, often feeding low in the flowers and away from more
Breeding: Non-breeder in South Dakota
Song: Generally silent,
but with occasional high tsip, sometimes repeated.
Migration: Summers in the mountains of the western United States and Canada. Winters
in southern Mexico.
Conservation Status: Generally stable throughout it's normal
Feeders: Will attend feeders for sugar water.
Cornell University's "All About Birds - Calliope Hummingbird"
Photo Information: Red Rocks State Park near
Sedona, Arizona - September 7th, 2006 - Terry Sohl
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or
text links below for additional, higher-resolution Calliope Hummingbird photos.