Fun Scintillant Hummingbird Facts For Kids
Gallery
The scintillant hummingbird is a type of hummingbird that belongs to the family Trochilidae, the kingdom Animalia, class Aves, order Apodiform, and genus Selasphorus. The scientific name of the scintillant hummingbird is Selasphorus scintilla.
It is the smallest known hummingbird in the western mountains of Costa Rica and Panama. Its habitats mainly include open areas, gardens with a variety of small flowers, bushy forested areas, and mountains at altitudes from 900 ft (274 m) where they built their nests in forks of branches to lay their eggs.
The male shows a range of colors and the females are a bit dull in color with rufous feathers.
The bright orange color on the neck of males distinguishes it from the females. The bills of this species are black, short, and straight by which it sucks out nectar from small flowers which is their usual diet.
Also, some insects are a source of protein to this genus. The scintillant hummingbird's feet are tiny and delicate.
The breeding season of the bird varies with the coffee plantations or variety of flowers present around the area. After copulation, the adult male leaves and is further not responsible for the parenting of the chick.
After an incubation of 19 days, the female lays two white eggs in a cup-shaped nest with scrub, soft plant fibers in small plants with a height of 39-157 in (1-4 m). The species is not on the endangered list and is considered as of Least Concern.
You can also read interesting facts about flycatchers and mountain chickadees.
Scintillant Hummingbird Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a scintillant hummingbird?
The scintillant hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla) is a member of the Trochilidae family and is one of the smallest hummingbirds in the world.
What class of animal does a scintillant hummingbird belong to?
The scintillant hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla) belongs to the Aves class of animals.
How many scintillant hummingbirds are there in the world?
The population size of scintillant hummingbirds is not quantified as no research sources provide the total number of the species present in the world, but they have a stable, small range.
Where does a scintillant hummingbird live?
The natural habitat of the scintillant hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla) is America, the western mountains of Costa Rica, and Panama. It mostly prefers gardens at altitudes from 3,000–6,600 ft (900–2,000 m ), up to 8,200 ft (2,500 m) although the volcano hummingbird, a cousin of this species, is seen at greater elevations.
What is a scintillant hummingbird's habitat?
The scintillant hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla) mostly lives in brushy forest edges, western mountains (Costa Rica), gardens at altitudes from 900 ft (274 m) and above, coffee plantations, grasslands, and tundra regions.
Who do scintillant hummingbirds live with?
They live as isolated creatures, and only during the breeding season do they mate with their partner.
How long does a scintillant hummingbird live?
The scintillant hummingbird has a life span of about three to five years.
How do they reproduce?
The male bird rests in open places and attracts females by divine displays. They are solely in charge of mating with a female.
Males display by flying in a U-shaped manner in front of females to attract them and is not responsible for nurturing the chicks. Two white eggs are laid in a batch, which the female incubates alone for 15-19 days while the male displays as a protector of his territory.
The female scintillant hummingbird is in charge of building the cup-shaped nest, which is made of woven plant fibers with green moss on the outside for disguise, in a protected site around 3-13 ft (1-4 m) high in the scrub.
The building of the nest with soft plant fibers is to provide adequate space for the chicks to grow.
The female is the sole one who watches after the chicks and feeds them disgorged food (mainly partially digested insects because nectar is the insufficient source for the growing chicks), which she forces down the chicks' necks and into their stomachs with her long bill.
What is their conservation status?
The scintillant hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla) has a conservation classification of Least Concern. The species' population looks to be stable, indicating that this bird is not a Vulnerable species.
Scintillant Hummingbird Fun Facts
What do scintillant hummingbirds look like?.
The scintillant hummingbird is one of the smallest hummingbirds with a band of colorful features and a black, short, and straight bill. The adult male scintillant hummingbird has bronze-green upperparts and a reddish-brown, black-striped tail.
A white neckband separates the vivid red throat from the cinnamon underparts. The female is similar to the male but has a polished throat with small green patches and rufous flanks. Young birds have reddish-brown fringes on their upper part feathers, similar to the female.
How cute are they?
With a range in color and features, the scintillant hummingbird is indeed the cutest bird in the world.
How do they communicate?
In general, this hummingbird is silent but at times it makes a squeaky sound. It makes a flowing 'tsip' sound with its call, usually when sucking nectar from small flowers. The males during the breeding season usually show a display dive to attract their mate and do not use vocalizations or calls like the birds.
How big is a scintillant hummingbird?
The scintillant hummingbird has a length of about 2.6–3.1 in (6.5–8 cm) and a height of about 3 in (7 cm) and the male weighs 0.071 oz (2 g) and the female 0.081 oz (2.3 g). Being one of the smallest species among all, it is about half the length of a vesper sparrow.
How fast can a scintillant hummingbird fly?
There are no studies specifically on scintillant hummingbirds. The hummingbirds in general can fly at a maximum speed of 61 mph (98 kph).
How much does a scintillant hummingbird weigh?
The male weighs 0.071 oz (2 g) and the female 0.081 oz (2.3 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no sex-specific names for scintillant hummingbirds.
What would you call a baby scintillant hummingbird?
A baby bird is called a nestling, hatchling, or chick. The young birds are born blind and look similar to the females.
What do they eat?
The scintillant hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla) eats both plants and animals as food. They have a very high metabolism rate and eats every 10-15 minutes a day.
It usually feeds on nectar taken from a range of bright-colored, scented small flowers, the source including salvia and insect-pollinated species; also on tiny insects like lace bugs, kudzu bugs, flatworms, and tangle web spiders, which are a major source of protein in their diet.
The species uses its long tongue to suck out the nectar while hanging on the flower with its tails stretched upwards.
They also sip in water from small rivers, water fountains, lakes. During the breeding season, males perches in open spaces with salvia.
Are they dangerous?
No, these species are not considered dangerous or do not possess serious threats to human life. Whenever the bird feels threatened, it has a tendency to fly off.
Would they make a good pet?
No, the birds under this species never make a good pet as they are free wild birds belonging to the open places and brushy forest edges. Sometimes in captivity, they lose their free state and do not survive for long.
Did you know...
They are one of the smallest birds in the world.
How did the scintillant hummingbirds get their name?
The birds get their name from the humming sound with the flapping of wings at high frequencies and sometimes also due to its sparkling bright color of this birds it is called as 'scintillant'.
What is the wingspan of the scintillant hummingbird?
The scintillant hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla) of Costa Rica has a wingspan of 4.25 in (10.8 cm).
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our Anna's hummingbird facts and vesper sparrow facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable scintillant hummingbird coloring pages.
Main image by Matt MacGillivray.
Second image by Charlie Jackson.
We Want Your Photos!
More for You
See All
Bachelor of Science specializing in Nautical Science
Ayan BanerjeeBachelor of Science specializing in Nautical Science
Thanks to his degree in nautical science from T.S. Chanakya, IMU Navi Mumbai Campus, Ayan excels at producing high-quality content across a range of genres, with a strong foundation in technical writing. Ayan's contributions as an esteemed member of the editorial board of The Indian Cadet magazine and a valued member of the Chanakya Literary Committee showcase his writing skills. In his free time, Ayan stays active through sports such as badminton, table tennis, trekking, and running marathons. His passion for travel and music also inspire his writing, providing valuable insights.
Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature, Masters of Art specializing in English and Communication Skills
Sonali RawatBachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature, Masters of Art specializing in English and Communication Skills
Sonali has a Bachelor's degree in English literature from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and is currently pursuing a Master's in English and Communication from Christ University. With considerable experience in writing about lifestyle topics, including travel and health, she has a passion for Japanese culture, especially fashion, and anime, and has written on the subject before. Sonali has event managed a creative-writing festival and coordinated a student magazine at her university. Her favorite authors are Toni Morrison and Anita Desai.
Disclaimer
1) Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the Buy Now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published but we cannot guarantee that on the time of reading. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
2) At Kidadl, we strive to recommend the very best activities and events. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
3) Because we are an educational resource, we have quotes and facts about a range of historical and modern figures. We do not endorse the actions of or rhetoric of all the people included in these collections, but we think they are important for growing minds to learn about under the guidance of parents or guardians.
