Photo: Kati Fleming / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Calliope Hummingbird
Selasphorus calliope
Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) — Hummingbirds of North America.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) is a member of the Trochilidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 2.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Trochilidae Hummingbirds
- Genus Selasphorus
- Species calliope
Quick facts
- Weight
- 2.6 g
- Diet
- Nectar-feeders
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Calliope Hummingbird is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Calliope Hummingbird is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) is a member of the Trochilidae family, within the order Apodiformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA sw Canada and w USA.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 2.6 g, with a wing length of about 4.1 cm and a tail of around 2.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Calliope Hummingbird?
The Calliope Hummingbird is a very small bird that weighs around 2.6 g.
Where does the Calliope Hummingbird live?
The Calliope Hummingbird is found across North America with a range covering NA sw Canada and w USA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Calliope Hummingbird belong to?
The Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) belongs to the Trochilidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Calliope Hummingbird eat?
The Calliope Hummingbird is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Does the Calliope Hummingbird migrate?
The Calliope Hummingbird is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Calliope Hummingbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Calliope Hummingbird make?
1 real field recording of the Calliope Hummingbird — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Calliope Hummingbird's range?
The Calliope Hummingbird has a mapped global range of about 1.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Hummingbird Feeders
How to choose a hummingbird feeder — the two main styles compared, the right sugar-water mix, and how to keep it clean so the birds stay safe. A decision framework with the hummingbird species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Trochilidae
A field guide to the Trochilidae family — 366 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.