HUMMINGBIRDS 
275 
Distribution. Western North America from the southern Yukon boundary to New 
Mexico. In Canada, British Columbia and the adjacent foothills of Alberta. It is not 
known to extend east on the prairies. 
This is the common hummingbird of British Columbia, and is seen in 
suitable localities everywhere. One of the problems of common bird life is 
what becomes of the male hummingbirds in the summer. In spring, and 
while the species are mating, the sexes are equally common, but as soon 
as nesting duties are seriously engaged in, the brilliant, jewel-throated male 
ceases his interest in proceedings and not only lets his more sober-coloured 
mate take the whole burden of family raising, but disappears from the 
scene entirely. That the gay Lothario follows the flower season up the 
mountain sides and, in the alpine meadows at higher altitudes, finds a 
prolonged, flower-producing spring, sounds reasonable, but so far lacks 
demonstration. At any rate, it fails to explain a similar disappearance 
of the male Ruby-throated that lives out on the flat lands far from such 
mountain summer resorts. The phenomenon being common to all the 
hummers requires an explanation that will fit them all. The author 
suspects that the males depart on their southward migration as early as 
July like some of the waders. 
436. Calliope Hummingbird, l’oiseau-mouche de calliope. Slellula calliope. 
L, 2-75. A small hummer. Male: iridescent bronze-green above, dusky white below. 
Throat and gorget composed of elongated lanceolate feathers of metallic rose-violet. 
Female: similar but without violet gorget. 
Distinctions. The male with gleaming violet gorget, elongated and projecting at the 
sides, is unmistakable. The female much like those of other species, but smaller and with 
less red overwash than the Rufous. 
It is smaller and with a more rounded tail than the Ruby-throated, the only hummer 
that it is likely to be confused with in western Alberta. From the Black-chinned, it can 
be separated by its reddish flanks. 
Field Marks. The male with its brilliant reddish violet gorget, like the half of a many- 
pointed star on a white ground, is easily recognized when it faces the observer. The female 
may be separated from the female Black-chinned by its rufous flanks, but it cannot be told 
in life with any certainty from the Rufous, except when in hand. 
Nesting. Nest a beautiful structure of lichens and cobwebs on a branch. 
Distribution. Western North America from British Columbia to New Mexico. In 
Canada, southern British Columbia, part of the Alberta foothills, and, on the coast, north 
to Wrangell, Alaska. 
This little hummer is quite common in the interior valleys of southern 
British Columbia. In common with the other hummers it is attracted 
to the sweet oozing sap from sapsucker drillings in black birches, and about 
trees so tapped, the branches black with the sticky wetness, quite a cloud 
of mixed hummingbirds will often be found. 
They are peppery, pugnacious little midgets, and never meet each 
other without a battle of elfin fury. They clash together squeaking in 
fine high tones almost above the limit of the ear to hear, tower into the air, 
exchange stroke and parry with their rapier-like bills, and then descend to 
opposite sides of the bush under examination only to meet and engage 
again shortly. None seems to be seriously damaged by the encounter, but 
they never learn to bear or forbear, and a sap-running tree is a centre of 
rapidly buzzing wings, thin, angry squeaks, and dashing forms mixing in 
constant fray, from which come flashes from gleaming throats of kaleidos- 
copic brilliancy. Were hummingbirds as large as their courage, their 
haunts would not be safe for anybody. 
