General Description: Black-chinned Hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri) are tiny green birds with long bills. They hover in front of flowers and feed on nectar. Males have an iridescent gorget (throat feathers) that is jet black right under the chin and brilliant purple along the lower edge. The neck feathers are white, clearly separating the gorget from the green feathers on the side of the chest. The top of the head is green.

Females and juvenile males have a white throat and are hard to distinguish from other species, but Black-chins often have a patch of warm-toned plumage (tinge of rufous) on the flanks, their green color is more olive drab, and the bill is relatively long and slightly decurved.

Taxonomy: Apodiformes, Trochilidae, Trochilinae.

Favored Habitat: Desert scrub with flowers, but yards with feeders are favored too.

Where to Find: Anyplace in the desert with a hummingbird feeder.

Comments: Historically, this species was a summer visitor to Las Vegas, but with the climate warming, they are resident now.