WESTERN BIRDS Hummingbirds 



SUBORDER TROCHILI: HUIIMING- 

 BIRDS. 



FAMILY— TROCHILIDiE. 



The person who cares so little for our feathered wild 

 life as not to know a Hummingbird has lost much of 

 the joy of life, for these dainty-winged jewels of the air 

 are well worth knowing, being our smallest birds. 



We are told that at least five hundred species of these 

 small birds inhabit the American continents, and that 

 none are found elsewhere, but it is the comparatively few 

 species that stray into our country, and especially those 

 that are found in California, that are of interest to us. 

 Of the seventeen species that are found, casually or as 

 migrants, in the United States, only one, the Ruby- 

 throated, dwells east of the Great Plains. We of Cali- 

 fornia are especially blessed, for six species are recorded 

 as nesting in the State, while two others have been seen 

 here. The six that spend their summers with us pre the 

 Black-chinned (also called purple-throated), Costa, 

 Anna (who also stays during the winter) , Rufous, Allen 

 and Calliope. The Floresi and Broad-tailed have been 

 reported as seen in the northern part of the State. 



The male Hummingbirds differ from the males of all 

 other species in that they seem to entirely shirk the duties 

 of nest-building and caring for the young. Sometimes 

 they are seen in the neighborhood of the nest, but more 

 frequently they disappear entirely, the mother taking 

 entire care of the nestlings. Seemingly, these gay little 

 charmers are the most selfish of the feathered tribe. 



A Hummingbird's nest is, indeed, a work of art, being 

 cup-shaped and made of fine plant down felted together 



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