Rivoli's Hummingbird
Eugenes fulgens
Very large for a hummingbird; size alone separates from many other species. Males are green overall with darker blackish chest and belly. Head appears black until it hits the light and reveals an iridescent purple crown and green throat. Females duller with grayish belly, mottled greenish sides, and speckled gray throat. Separate from Blue-throated Mountain-gem by longer bill, more speckled appearance on underparts, and smaller white tail corners. Used to be called Magnificent Hummingbird, but recently split into Rivoli’s Hummingbird (from southwest U.S. to Nicaragua) and Talamanca Hummingbird (found in mossy cloud forest in Costa Rica and Panama). Visits hummingbird feeders.
Identification
Rivoli's hummingbird is about 11 to 14 cm (4.3 to 5.5 in) long and weighs about 6 to 10 g (0.21 to 0.35 oz), with males typically a little larger than females. It has a wingspan of 18 centimetres (7.1 in). Of the hummingbirds found in the United States, Rivoli's hummingbird is one of the two largest species, rivaled in size only by the blue-throated hummingbird. The black bill is long and straight to slightly decurved. Both sexes look very dark unless the sun catches the iridescence of the plumage and the brilliant colors flash in the sunlight. During much of the year the species is in the "definitive basic" breeding plumage described below. It has a protracted molt between that plumage and the duller non-breeding appearance. There are some minor clinal variations in bill length and the color of the vent area.<p>The adult male is green-bronze dorsally, becoming more bronzed on the black-tipped tail. The crown is violet, the throat gorget bright blue-green, and the rest of the head black apart from a white spot behind the eye. The chest is green-bronze and the belly grayish. The female is bronze-green dorsally and has a dull gray ventral coloring. There is a white stripe behind her eye. Immature birds are like the female, but darker and browner.
Taxonomy
Eugenes fulgens was originally described as the magnificent hummingbird, and by the late 1800s was treated as having two subspecies. Beginning in 2017 the North American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (NACC), the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), and the Clements taxonomy split them into the current Rivoli's hummingbird and the Talamanca hummingbird (E. spectabilis). However, as of 2020, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) retains the single species "magnificent" hummingbird treatment.<p>Rivoli's hummingbird is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Eugenes fulgens
- Authority
- (Swainson, 1827)
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Genus
- Eugenes
Range and habitat
Rivoli's hummingbird breeds in mountains from the southwestern United States to Honduras and Nicaragua. It inhabits the interior, edges, and clearings of pine-oak forest and cloudforest from about 1,500 m (4,900 ft) up to the timberline as well as more open secondary forest and some grasslands. It regularly comes to bird feeders.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Slender-billed Flufftail
Sarothrura watersi
Tiny, rare, skulking rail-like bird that is unlikely to be seen unless you’re expressly looking for it at a handful of known sites. Male has rich rufous and olive-green color, while female is a subdued dark brown. Found in a few wetlands at middle and high elevations in eastern Madagascar, usually adjacent to rainforest. Call is an odd and earthy series of “tduk” calls, sometimes given singly and sometimes in triplets. Longer-billed than the much more common Madagascar Flufftail, and both sexes of Slender-billed Flufftail have duller coloration.
Azure-winged Magpie
Cyanopica cyanus
A sleek, long-tailed crow relative--social, highly vocal, and conspicuous in parks, gardens, orchards, riparian areas, and forests. All plumages unmistakable, with black crown, brown back, pale gray belly, and powder-blue wings and tail. Gives raucous, screeching calls as it moves about and is often heard before it is seen.
White-naped Tit
Machlolophus nuchalis
The only strongly patterned, black-and-white tit in its range. The upperparts from forehead to tail are glossy black, with a prominent white patch on the lower nape and upper mantle. The cheeks and the rest of the underparts are white, with a wide black central band running from throat to vent. The wings have a large white patch with a few black bars. Female and juvenile retain the same basic pattern, with duller black and dingier white. A habitat specialist found only in dry thorny forests. Seen in pairs or small family groups; quite vocal, commonly gives a 2- to 5-noted high-pitched “psi-psi-psi” ending in a harsh churrr.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.