Male showing gorget on May 23, 2009
Credit: Len Blumin

North American field guide

Calliope Hummingbird

Stellula calliope

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

8 cm (3") Fairly common in western high mountains, canyons and meadows. Our smallest North American bird. Short bill and tail. Male: purplish-red throat feathers or gorget form streaks or a V-shape pattern on a white under surface. Female: throat is spotted or slightly streaked but with no red at all unlike female Allen's or Rufous' which may show some red.

Where it lives

Distribution map

Source legend · original intervals

Loading the rebuilt map…

Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Approximate reconstruction of a historical map. Source date unknown.

Geography: Natural Earth
Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants 2 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Calliope Hummingbird (Female)

1 rule
Rule 1 14 criteria confidence 3
What SHAPE was the TAIL ?
Square or slightly notched at the end · Rounded at the end · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Olive (yellowish-green) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Green · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Olive (yellowish-green) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Green · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Smaller than a sparrow
Compared with other hummingbirds, how large did it look?
Noticeably tiny and compact · Unknown
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hummingbird
WHEN was the bird seen ?
Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States
result:454-calliope-hummingbird-female:1:1 Source: 454 Calliope Hummingbird (Female), row 1

Calliope Hummingbird (Male)

1 rule
Rule 1 14 criteria confidence 3
What SHAPE was the TAIL ?
Square or slightly notched at the end · Rounded at the end · Unknown
What colour was the SIDE ?
Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Green · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Green · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
Red, or pink · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
What colour were the CHEEKS ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Red, or pink · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
Green · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Smaller than a sparrow
Compared with other hummingbirds, how large did it look?
Noticeably tiny and compact · Unknown
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hummingbird
WHEN was the bird seen ?
Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States