Lucifer Sheartail

The Lucifer sheartail, a medium-sized hummingbird measuring approximately 10 centimeters in length, is a dazzling inhabitant of the avian world. It boasts a distinctive green plumage and a slightly curved bill, which is complemented by the remarkable outward flare of its gorget feathers. The male is particularly striking with its iridescent feathers, forked dark tail, and a crown of green, while its magenta gorget and white underparts are truly eye-catching. The female, slightly larger than the male, presents a more subdued appearance with a pale throat and white or buff underparts, often adorned with a touch of crimson.

Identification Tips

To identify the Lucifer sheartail, look for the small wings and the white streak behind the eye. The male's long magenta gorget is a key feature, along with its green crown and iridescent plumage. The female can be distinguished by her larger size, duller plumage, and the pale throat with white or buff feathers on the underside, usually edged with crimson.

Habitat

This hummingbird favors high-altitude regions, making its home in canyons, mountain slopes, and dry washes adorned with desert shrubs and cacti. It thrives at altitudes ranging from 3,500 to 5,500 feet.

Distribution

The Lucifer sheartail is found in the desert and arid landscapes of the southwestern United States, including southwest Texas, extreme southwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Arizona. Its presence also graces central and northern Mexico, with a particular affinity for the Madrean sky islands at the northern end of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

Behaviour

The Lucifer sheartail exhibits typical hummingbird behaviors, such as feeding from flowers in flight and catching insects mid-air. Males are known to vigorously defend their feeding territories from other males, females, and even black-chinned hummingbirds.

Song & Calls

While not detailed in the source, hummingbirds are generally known for their soft chirps and twittering sounds, which are often heard during flight and territorial displays.

Breeding

Courtship is a dramatic affair for the Lucifer sheartail. Males perform an aerial display, hovering above the female before diving with a snapping sound produced by the wings or tail. This display, which may include the tail feathers forked and producing a series of snaps, can last up to 45 seconds and be repeated multiple times within an hour. Females construct nests on desert shrubs or cacti, sometimes reusing the base of an old nest, and lay two white eggs per clutch.

Diet and Feeding

The Lucifer sheartail's diet primarily consists of nectar from agave plants and vibrant desert flowers. It also consumes spiders and small insects, which it adeptly captures in flight.

Conservation status

The Lucifer sheartail is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating a stable population within its natural range.