Calypte costae
Costa's Hummingbird
The desert specialist with the purple mustache.
The hummingbird of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, timed to the desert bloom rather than the calendar seasons: Costa's court and nest in late winter when ocotillo and chuparosa flower, then many drift toward the coast to sit out the brutal mid-summer.
Range
Deserts of southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and Baja; year-round in much of that range. Reaches southwest Utah in spring.
Migration timing
In the low deserts, present and displaying December through May — spring happens in February here. Numbers thin in the hottest months, rebuilding in fall. In Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Tucson, some birds are at feeders every month of the year.
How to identify one
- Male: iridescent violet-purple crown and gorget flaring into long 'mustache' points down the neck
- Female: small, compact, gray-and-green, white eyebrow; shorter-billed than female Black-chinned
- High thin whistle display call, given in looping dives
At the feeder
Desert feeders earn their keep in winter and early spring — Costa's season runs opposite the eastern calendar. In summer heat, hang feeders in shade and change nectar daily; sugar water spoils in hours at 110°F.
Feeding one right now? The recipe is always the same: 4 parts water, 1 part plain white sugar.
Nectar calculatorWhere to find the Costa's Hummingbird
| State | Status | Feeders out by |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Year-round resident | Year-round |
| California | Year-round resident | Year-round |
| Nevada | Spring–summer breeder | March 1 in southern Nevada, April 1 in the north |
| Utah | Spring–summer breeder | April 1 |
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