Black-chinned hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri) are small hummingbirds that normally hang out on the West Coast, from Mexico and Texas up through Washington State into Canada (I got to see them when I visited Arizona in 2016, see below). They are rarely found on the East Coast. But in November 2023, one managed to find his way to Randalls Island in New York City. The bird stayed for a little while, feeding near the nature center. These photographs and video record some of the bird's perching and feeding during my visit on November 21, 2023.
According to All About Birds, “This is one of the most adaptable of all hummingbirds, often found in urban areas and recently disturbed habitat as well as pristine natural areas.” So while we should be a bit surprised to find this little hummer in New York, we shouldn't be too terrible surprised he chose to visit the Big Apple.
Black-chinned hummingbird, Randalls Island, New York City, November 21, 2023
The music in this video is by Frédéric Chopin, Etude Op. 10, no. 2 in A minor ('Chromatique'), performed by Edward Neeman and used under a Creative Commons license. The photos in the slideshow that follows were taken on Randalls Island in New York City on November 21, 2023.
Tiny Birds With a Sweet Tooth
I saw several beautiful black-chinned hummingbirds when I visited Arizona from April 29 to May 3, 2016. We visited the copper-mining town of Jerome, where a souvenir shop has multiple hummingbird feeders outside, and I got a chance to capture video of the black-chinned as well as a few Anna's hummingbirds.
Most of the photos and video segments here, though, come from Camp Verde, Arizona, where my generous hostess made sure the hummingbirds had plenty of sugar water to drink every day in her backyard. And that ensured I had many opportunities to film these gorgeous birds.
Female black-chinned hummingbird vs. bee, Camp Verde, Arizona, May 2, 2016
In some of these photos you can see the male's black chin, which reflects brilliant violet in the sunshine. These birds were very territorial, and often spent more time and energy chasing off their fellow hummingbirds than actually drinking, which made sure the bees got their share of the sweets.
