Bird guide · Calypte costae
Costa's Hummingbird
What the Costa's hummingbird eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Partial migrant: many desert nesters move to the coast after spring; some stay all year in gardens.
- Size
- 3.3 in (8.5 cm)
- Eats
- nectar (sugar water)
- Feeds
- nectar feeder
- Most common
- Nevada, Arizona, California
Food
What do Costa's hummingbirds eat?
At feeders, Costa's hummingbirds take nectar (sugar water).
At feeders it may hover or perch.
Feeder that suits it
A hummingbird nectar feeder with one part sugar to four parts water.
Range
Where do Costa's hummingbirds live?
Deserts of Arizona and California; coastal California in other seasons. By share of all bird sightings, Costa's hummingbirds are most common in Nevada (0.6%).
States where Costa's hummingbirds are most common
- Nevada0.6%
- Arizona0.5%
- California0.1%
- Utah0.02%
- Oregon0.00%
- Alaska0.00%
- New Mexico0.00%
- Washington0.00%
- South Dakota0.00%
- Texas0.00%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are Costa's hummingbirds, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the Costa's hummingbird migrate?
Partial migrant: many desert nesters move to the coast after spring; some stay all year in gardens.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in March.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are Costa's hummingbirds, by month.
Identification
How to identify the Costa's hummingbird
Male: Purple crown and throat, with gorget feathers extending back to a point.
Female: Smaller and shorter-billed than female Anna's or Black-chinned, with a shorter tail and paler belly.
Size: 3.3 in (8.5 cm)
Easily confused with
- Anna's Hummingbird – larger, rose-red gorget
- Black-chinned Hummingbird – black chin, flips tail
On camera
Getting the Costa's hummingbird on a feeder camera
You need a hummingbird feeder camera – hummingbirds never visit seed feeders. See feeder cameras compared for the nectar models.
Questions
Costa's Hummingbird: questions
What do Costa's hummingbirds eat?
At feeders, nectar (sugar water).
Do Costa's hummingbirds migrate?
Partial migrant: many desert nesters move to the coast after spring; some stay all year in gardens.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in March.
Where do Costa's hummingbirds live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Nevada, Arizona, California, Utah, Oregon. They are rare or absent in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware.
What does a female Costa's hummingbird look like?
Smaller and shorter-billed than female Anna's or Black-chinned, with a shorter tail and paler belly.