Mary Allen
Introduction: The Fascinating World of Costa’s Hummingbird
Costa’s Hummingbird is a beautiful and colorful species of hummingbird that has captured the attention of nature enthusiasts around the world. This tiny bird is known for its iridescent plumage, which shimmers in different shades of green and violet in the sunlight. The Costa’s Hummingbird is a native species of the southwestern United States and Mexico, where it inhabits arid and semi-arid regions. It is named after Louis Marie Pantaleon Costa, a French ornithologist who collected the first specimen of this species in Sonora, Mexico, in 1853.
Appearance: A Closer Look at the Costa’s Hummingbird
The Costa’s Hummingbird is a small bird, measuring only 3.5 to 4 inches in length and weighing about 0.1 ounces. The males have a distinctive metallic purple-colored crown that extends to the upper back, while the females have a green crown and back. Both sexes have a white throat, a black mask that extends from the eye to the bill, and a green body. The wings and tail feathers are long and pointed, allowing them to hover and fly with great agility. The feathers of the Costa’s Hummingbird have a unique structure, which gives them their iridescent shine. The feathers are made up of tiny, overlapping scales that reflect and refract light in different ways, creating the shimmering effect.