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Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Amazilia yucatanensis
At a Glance
This is the only hummingbird to nest regularly in southernmost Texas. It is our most common representative of the widespread genus Amazilia, a group of hummingbirds found all over the American tropics.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Hummingbirds
Conservation
Low Concern
Habitat
Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets, Urban and Suburban Habitats
Region
Florida, Southeast, Texas
Behavior
Flitter, Hovering, Rapid Wingbeats
Population
610.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
In southern Texas, more common in summer, but some remain through the winter. A few move north along the coast in fall, to winter on upper Texas coast or in Louisiana.
Description
4 1/2" (11 cm). A stocky hummer, mostly green (brighter on throat), with chestnut tail, red bill with black tip, pale buff belly. In Arizona see Berylline Hummingbird.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Brown, Green, Orange, Tan
Wing Shape
Narrow, Rounded, Short
Tail Shape
Multi-pointed, Notched, Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Shrill squeaks.
Call Pattern
Flat
Call Type
Chirp/Chip
Habitat
Woods, thickets. In Texas found mostly in semi-open habitats, such as woodland edges or clearings, areas of brush and scattered trees. Sometimes around citrus groves. A regular resident of suburban neighborhoods, especially those with trees and extensive gardens.
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Behavior
Eggs
2. White. Incubation is by female only, probably 2 weeks or longer.
Young
Female feeds the young, sticking her bill deep into their mouths and regurgitating tiny insects, perhaps mixed with nectar. May raise two broods per year.
Feeding Behavior
At flowers, usually feeds while hovering, extending its bill and long tongue deep into the center of the flower. At feeders, may either hover or perch. To catch small insects, may fly out and grab them in midair, or hover to pluck them from foliage.
Diet
Mostly nectar and insects. Takes nectar from flowers, and will feed on tiny insects as well. Often visits red tubular flowers such as turk's-cap and red salvia. Will also feed on sugar-water mixtures in hummingbird feeders.
Nesting
Breeding behavior is not well known. In Texas, the nesting season extends at least from April to August. Nest site is usually in large shrub or small deciduous tree, such as hackberry or Texas ebony, usually only a few feet above the ground. Nest (built by female) is a cup of plant fibers, stems, shreds of bark, spider webs, lined with plant down. The outside is camouflaged with bits of lichen, flower petals.
Climate Vulnerability
Conservation Status
Numbers probably declined in the past with loss of habitat, but current population seems to be stable.
Climate Threats Facing the Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.