August 12, 2020 – LPM WordPress

We’re almost to the end of this wonderful challenge, and I was really happy to get a bird starting with the letter X. I must say, what I love about nature, is that it doesn’t need a soundtrack for the singing of birds are sufficient. Even their wings is music itself.

Xantus's Hummingbird | Audubon Field Guide

Image: So pretty!

🐦 The Xantus’s Hummingbird was named after John Xantus de Vesey, a Hungarian zoologist.

🐦 These birds are native to the southern Baja Peninsula of Mexico (Baja California) and Jacques Cousteau Island aka Cerralvo Island (uninhabited island located off the coast of the Cerralvo Channel in Baja California Sur). They have also been documented in southern California and British Columbia.

Xantus's Hummingbird, male: Mexico, normally found only in Baja CA, but a nest was found in southern CA (no chicks fledged). 1 bird observed in BC Can. in Nov 1997

Image: Xantus’s male

🐦 The Xantus’s Hummingbird measures 3 – 3.5 inches (8 – 9 cm) in length – including bill and tail.

🐦 These birds feed on nectar taken from a variety of brightly colored, scented small flowers of trees, herbs, shrubs, and epiphytes. They favor flowers with the highest sugar content.

Xantus' Hummingbird (Basilinna xantusii),named after a Hungarian zoologist, is a Mexican hummingbird mostly found in Baja California. This species may occasionally stray to other parts of California & one stray bird was said to have been spotted in British Columbia.

Image: What a beaut!

🐦 A nesting female can capture up to 2,000 insects a day.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a YT video about the Xantus’s Hummingbird, but I still wanted to feature a video, so via ZoneA, here’s a video of 10 beautiful hummingbirds.