Violet-crowned Hummingbird

 (Leucolia violiceps)

e-bird provides this description for the Violet-crowned Hummingbird: This attractive hummingbird has pure white underparts. Also note bright red bill with black tip, purple crown, and dull brown back. Prefers riparian habitats, such as woodlands along rivers. Common in Mexico; only known from a few locations in U.S., but unmistakable in U.S. range. Visits hummingbird feeders.  All About Birds gives this additional descriptive information for the Violet-crowned Hummingbird:  An elegant hummingbird with clean white underparts set off by a glittering purple crown and long red bill, the Violet-crowned Hummingbird is a Mexican species that barely reaches the southeastern U.S. It is the only hummingbird in the U.S. that lacks a colorful gorget (throat patch). They occur at middle elevations in canyons, where they have a particular affinity for sycamore trees. They feed on nectar and small insects, often visiting hummingbird feeders. Some migrate south into Mexico for the winter, but others stay year-round. 

I saw my first Violet-crowned Hummingbird at the Tucson Audubon Society’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds on the morning of Wednesday, August 3, 2022, in Patagonia, Arizona.  To see my blog post that includes my visit to the Paton Center, look here.  This bird make a very brief appearance that morning and I was fortunate to watch it and take the photos below!

PURE WHITE UNDERPARTS HELPED ME IDENITFY THIS VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMER AT THE PATON CENTER IN PATAGONIA, ARIZONA.
IN THIS PHOTO YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THE BRIGHT RED BILL WITH A BLACK TIP AND THE VIOLET HEAD.

On my last day at the Southwest Wings Birding Festival, I drove down to Ash Canyon on the late afternoon of Saturday, August 6, 2022.  Richard Fray, my guide from earlier in the week, recommended Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary as a place I should visit if I had time.  Richard sits on the Board, and was very close to Mary Jo Balator, who used to own the Sanctuary before she passed away.   I saw lots of hummingbirds at Ash Canyon, but only one Violet-crowned, which is pictured below.

THE ONLY VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD THAT I WATCHED AT ASH CANYON ON AUGUST 6, 2022.


“Cool Facts” About the Violet-crowned Hummer From All About Birds:

    • You’ve heard of the “pecking order,” but what about “humming order”? In the 1980s, scientists found that as nectar becomes scarcer, the larger hummingbirds tended to chase away smaller species, keeping the sugary food to themselves. The large Violet-crowned was at the top of the “humming order” followed by smaller species: Rufous, Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Black-chinned, and Costa’s.
    • The oldest recorded Violet-crowned Hummingbird was at least 6 years, 1 month old when it was recaptured and released during banding operations in Arizona.