User:Pumalovercat/Calliope hummingbird

During migration and winter, they also occur in chaparral, lowland brushy areas, deserts and semi-desert regions.

Calliope hummingbirds have glossy green on the back and crown with white underparts. The adult male has wine-red streaks on the gorget, green flanks, and a dark tail. When an adult male is excited or frightened, the red feathers on its gorget can stick up in the air to give the male a more threatening appearance. Females and immatures have a pinkish wash on the flanks, dark streaks on the throat and a dark tail with white tips. The only similar birds are the rufous hummingbird and the Allen's hummingbird, but these birds are larger with more distinct and contrasting rufous markings on the tail and flanks, and longer central tail feathers.

The female usually builds an open cup nest in a conifer tree under an overhanging branch, though apple and alder trees have also been used. The nest is often built on the base of large pine cones and somewhat resembles a pine cone itself.

During courtship, a male calliope hummingbird hovers at accelerated wingbeat frequency up to 95 flaps per second (42% higher than normal hovering), creating a loud buzzing sound, with throat feathers protruding and facing a female.

Status[edit]
Many species of pollinators, including the calliope hummingbird, have shown decreases in certain populations. Little information is available on the overall issues that are causing these declines but possible threats include habitat loss, increased use of pesticides, and replacement of native plants by non-native plants (although, on the other hand, many hummingbirds benefit from non-native plants in gardens that provide additional food). The restricted wintering range of calliope hummingbirds makes the species more susceptible to natural disasters, diseases, or land use changes that could wipe out significant portions of the population. The calliope hummingbird has not been well studied, leaving much of its life history unknown.

As this species has a restricted wintering range in Mexico and travels an exceptional migratory distance annually of some 5,000 miles (8,000 km), it is on a watchlist for factors that could diminish the population.

Threats
The calliope hummingbird does not have many predators. Its biggest threat is likely long cold spells since they reduce the volume of insects and nectar available in its environment. The calliope hummingbird has been frequently observed making enemies with other birds, including Wright Flycatchers, Western Robins, and Red-tailed Hawks. It is not afraid to dive at and attack birds that are many times larger than itself.