Lucifer Hummingbird
Calothorax lucifer
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderApodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds)
- FamilyTrochilidae (Hummingbirds)
- GenusCalothorax (Calothorax Sheartails)
- SpeciesCalothorax lucifer (Lucifer Hummingbird)
About the Lucifer Hummingbird
The lucifer sheartail or lucifer hummingbird (Calothorax lucifer) is a medium-sized, 10 cm long, green hummingbird with a slightly curved bill and distinctive outward flare of its gorget feathers. Its habitat is in high-altitude areas of northern Mexico and southwestern United States. It winters in central Mexico.
The lucifer sheartail was formally described in 1827 by the English zoologist William Swainson based on a specimen collected at Temascaltepec in central Mexico. Swainson placed the species in the genus Cynanthus and coined the binomial name Cynanthus lucifer. The specific epithet lucifer is Latin meaning "light-bearing" from lux, lucis meaning "light" and -fera meaning "-bearing". The lucifer sheartail is now placed with the beautiful sheartail in the genus Calothorax that was introduced in 1840 by the English zoologist George Robert Gray.
The lucifer sheartail is a medium-sized, 10-centimetre (3.9 in) long, green hummingbird with a long curved bill, small wings, and white streak behind its eye. The male has an iridescent plumage, forked dark tail, green crown, long magenta gorget, and white underparts. The female is larger with duller plumage... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Lucifer Hummingbird in Big Bend National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Big Bend National Park
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Lucifer Hummingbird in Big Bend National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lucifer Hummingbird sighting in Big Bend National Park, based on 916 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Lucifer Hummingbird in Big Bend National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Lucifer Hummingbird in Big Bend National Park in our monthly data.