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| Costa's showing his colors at my feeder. |
The Costa’s Hummingbird was the
last summer resident to come to my feeder here in Las Vegas. I kept watching
and watching for him, looking for the tale-tale side gorget feathers, but all I
saw was the same ones I had seen before. Then June 12, success! A small
hummingbird showed up with a distinct gorget that flared out beautifully at the
side. The Costa’s had arrived.
Habitat: Costa’s hummingbird likes the desert. He will stay there until the heat of the summer arrives. Then
flowers get scarce. A move to the cooler, more verdant, climate of the city
becomes an attractive alternative. It is not surprising the he arrived at me
feeder just four days after record breaking highs.
Identification: Costa’s hummingbird has a purple-rose throat and forehead. The flaring gorget is unmistakable when he moves his head from side to
side. His tail is short, but not so
short as that of the Calliope. While he is the second smallest bird at my
feeder, he is chunky. Nothing slim
and trim about him.
The main thing that gives his
identity away is his actions. He
likes to stay seated. He’ll sit on
the perch of my feeder for 15 or 20 minutes. He looks one way and then the
other. He may stretch his neck out to see what is coming around the corner, but
doesn’t fly to check. I have seen him sit there on the perch and scratch his
head, stretch his wings, preen his front sides and then fluff himself, all
without moving away. He also likes to sit low on my tomato cage where he can
guard the feeders from the distance.
Feeding: He feeds on nectar,
of course, but he also likes to eat insects,
as do all hummingbirds. He picks little gnats off of flower petals and off the
hook on my feeder. He also watches for gnats flying around under my patio roof
and grabs them out of the air.
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| Costa's hummer sitting on my tomato cage |
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