Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Xantus’s Hummingbird
Basilinna xantusii
Xantus's Hummingbird (Basilinna xantusii) — Hummingbirds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 9 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Xantus’s Hummingbird (Basilinna xantusii) is a member of the Trochilidae family found in Central America & Caribbean. Adults weigh 3.4 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 Basilinna
- Species xantusii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 3.4 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 Xantus’s 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 Xantus’s Hummingbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Xantus’s Hummingbird (Basilinna xantusii) is a member of the Trochilidae family, within the order Apodiformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean. Its distribution covers MA s Baja California.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 3.4 g, with a wing length of about 5.1 cm and a tail of around 3 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 42,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Xantus’s Hummingbird?
The Xantus’s Hummingbird is a very small bird that weighs around 3.4 g.
Where does the Xantus’s Hummingbird live?
The Xantus’s Hummingbird is found across Central America & Caribbean with a range covering MA s Baja California, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Xantus’s Hummingbird belong to?
The Xantus’s Hummingbird (Basilinna xantusii) belongs to the Trochilidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Xantus’s Hummingbird eat?
The Xantus’s Hummingbird is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Does the Xantus’s Hummingbird migrate?
The Xantus’s Hummingbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Xantus’s 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 Xantus’s Hummingbird make?
1 real field recording of the Xantus’s 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 Xantus’s Hummingbird's range?
The Xantus’s Hummingbird has a mapped global range of about 42,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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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.