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Lucifer Hummingbirds
Zoe Ann Hinds
The name Lucifer means “light bearer.” Lucifer is also the name of the archangel who fell from heaven. It may be of interest to you to know that during the nineteenth century, the Lucifer hummingbird was captured to be stuffed and mounted, or sold alive. This species of hummingbird may also play a role in the pollination biology of some species of plants.
The bill of this hummingbird is quite distinctive among other species of hummingbirds, because of the fact that its bill is so long and it curves down sharply at the tip. The distinctive bill is believed to be a natural adaptation which helps bird collect insects from flowers.
The main sources of food for the Lucifer hummingbird include spiders, small insects (primarily flies), and nectar from various plant species. They take nectar from the flower tube while hovering, rather than by cutting the base or side of the stem. This hummingbird primarily catches insects in the early morning hours of the day. This is probably because the insects are both more visible and more abundant in the early morning light. The female forages for spiders to feed their young.
Whenever you are trying to identify the Lucifer hummingbird this is what you should look for to help you with this process. This hummingbird is medium-sized bird that has fairly small wings, a long bill, and a deeply forked tail. The male of the species has a green forehead and purple iridescence along the sides of its neck, and there is some white on both sides. The female has an unusually curved bill, is without any iridescence, and is light brown around the breast and throat areas.
In the U.S., the breeding season for this species of hummingbird is May to August. Their breeding range is very small, southeastern Arizona and western Texas. Their non-breeding range is central Mexico. These birds migrate northward in April and May and southward in September.
A study of one territorial male showed how the bird spent an hour of time. The vast majority of his time, 41 minutes, was spent perched. The bird only spent 4 minutes feeding. Each feeding was very brief, lasting only 12 seconds in length. I found this quite amazing, because most hummingbirds will usually visit between 1000-2000 flowers per day. The final 15 minutes of the hour was spent by the male chasing away intruders.
The Lucifer hummingbird lives in open desert areas where its favorite plant is the agave. Whenever this plant is in bloom, it is an abundant source of nectar as well as insects. During the mating season, the male Lucifer will often make its territory among two or three agaves. The female Lucifer will often make her nest on this plant as well.
Lucifer hummingbirds do not form pair bonds, but the male will perform a mating dance at nests. Most of the time, these displays occur whenever the female is building the nest or when laying the eggs. This is quite unique from other hummingbird species because among other hummingbird species the mating display is done away from the nesting site. The reason why the Lucifer hummingbird performs these displays when they do is unknown. The courtship display consists of the male flying back and forth between two perches, a vertical flight followed by a powerful spiraling dive towards the female, ending with erratic lateral flight. These aerial displays can last up to 45 seconds in length.
Lucifer hummingbirds hover and make quick, straight flights between perches or the nest and foraging area. They will also purposely take flight with the specific intent of catching some flies to eat. The female will defend the areas around the nests against other female hummingbirds and predator species. Adults and juveniles do not have any social contact with one another. Nests are in close proximity to each other, and females often steal nest material and are aggressive towards each other.
It is believed that humans won’t have much impact on the overall population of the Lucifer hummingbird. The reason for this is due to the fact that the habitats that are frequented by the Lucifer hummingbird are arid, rugged areas. Very little information exists to let us know how abundant this was in the past or what its present conservation status is currently.
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