Calliope Hummingbird
Selasphorus calliope
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 3,632
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The calliope hummingbird ( kə-LY-ə-pee; Selasphorus calliope) is the smallest bird native to the United States and Canada. It has a western breeding range mainly from California to British Columbia, and migrates to the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America for its wintering grounds. The calliope hummingbird is the smallest known long-distance bird migrant, completing migrations twice per year of some 9,000 km (5,600 mi). It was previously considered the only member of the genus Stellula (meaning little star), but research evidence suggests its existing placement in the genus Selasphorus. The bird was named after the Greek muse Calliope.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Calliope hummingbird”.