General

Lucifer Hummingbird: Small hummingbird with metallic green upperparts, head, and sides. Male has a red purple-red gorget that extends around sides of neck; white breast and belly; tail is dark and deeply forked. Bill is long and decurved. Female is duller with pale buff throat and underparts and white-cornered, slightly forked tail. Feeds primarily on nectar, but also insects. Rapid, direct flight, and hovers while eating.

Range and Habitat

Lucifer Hummingbird: This species is fairly common in the Big Bend region of Texas, rare to casual in scrublands, arid slopes, and canyons in southwest New Mexico and southeast Arizona. This bird spends its winters in inland areas of southern Mexico. Its referred habitats include arid slopes with agave and yucca.

Breeding and Nesting

Lucifer Hummingbird: Two white eggs are laid in a nest made of plant fibers, flowers, lichens, and seeds, and built from 4 to 6 feet above the ground in a shrub or cholla cactus. Eggs are incubated for 15 days by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Lucifer Hummingbird: Eats spiders, small insects (primarily flies), and nectar; forages while hovering.

Readily Eats

Sugar Water

Vocalization

Lucifer Hummingbird: Song is a high squeaky and twittering "chip."

Similar Species

Lucifer Hummingbird: Black-chinned Hummingbird has black face, straight black bill, short, notched tail, and lacks white stripe behind eye. Costa's Hummingbird has purple crown, head, and throat, straight bill, and short, rounded tail.