Costa’s Hummingbird

A dazzling little desert specialist, perfectly adapted to the arid landscapes of the Coachella Valley and surrounding scrublands. It's one of the most striking hummingbirds of the Southwest, and a year-round resident in the region.

🌵 Identification

• Size: Tiny—about 3.5 inches long.

• Male: Iridescent purple crown and gorget that flare outward like a collar; metallic green back; grayish-white underparts.

• Female: Subtler in color—green above and pale below with a faint buffy wash on the sides; no flashy purple.

When the male turns his head in the light, his head feathers ignite with brilliant purple, making him unmistakable.

🌺 Habitat & Behavior

Costa’s Hummingbirds thrive in desert scrub, washes, and edges of Joshua tree woodlands. They’re often spotted darting between chuparosa, desert lavender, and ocotillo blooms—plants they help pollinate.

• Highly territorial—males will defend flowering plants aggressively.

• During courtship, the male performs a dramatic u-shaped dive, emitting a sharp, high-pitched “zing” created by air rushing through his tail feathers.

🔬 Adaptations

• Efficient nectar feeders with tongues that flick 10–15 times per second.

• Can enter torpor, a state of lowered metabolism, to survive cold desert nights or food scarcity.

🌍 Ecological Role

Costa’s Hummingbirds are key pollinators for a variety of desert flora. Their relationship with native plants is mutualistic: they get nectar, and in return, spread pollen as they move flower to flower.

Read the related story: Why a Hummingbird’s Throat Goes From Black to Brilliant.