The Black-chinned Hummingbird is one of Arizona’s most widespread and familiar hummingbirds. Males sport a glossy emerald back and an iridescent purple-black throat (“chin”), while females and juveniles are more muted with pale underparts and a faint throat spot. From mid-March through September they breed in riparian woodlands, oak-juniper uplands and suburban gardens—where they readily visit feeders—before migrating south to overwinter in Mexico. They are only 3–3.5 inches long, and feed on a wide variety of native wildflowers (sage, currant, penstemon) and insects, playing an important role as both pollinator and insect predator throughout the state.
