The Cinnamon Hummingbird is primarily a bird of Mexico and Central America. It was unknown in the United States until July of 1992, when a bird was found in southern Arizona. The next year, in September of 1993, another individual was found near the Texas/New Mexico border, just across from the Rio Grande. While other Amazilia hummingbirds can be found visiting the United States, the Cinnamon Hummingbird is unique throughout its range as the only hummingbird with completely cinnamon underparts.
Habitat
Cinnamon Hummingbirds are typically found in semi-open country and around woodland and forest edges, most often around deciduous or semi-deciduous forests. They can also be found in habitats which have been rather extensively modified by man, such as plantation lands and grassy or brushy agricultural areas.
Diet
Typical diet of Hummingbirds, feeding heavily on nectar. Insects can comprise a large portion of the diet.
Behavior
The Cinnamon Hummingbird is an active and often aggressive hummingbird that spends much of its time defending flowering shrubs, trees, and nectar sources from other hummingbirds. It feeds by hovering at flowers for nectar and also captures small insects and spiders in flight or from vegetation. Individuals frequently perch in exposed locations between feeding bouts and vigorously chase intruders from favored feeding territories.
Nesting
The nest is built of bits of plant material with spider webs to hold material together. Lichens often adorn the outside of the nest, similar to other hummingbird nests. Breeding can occur at any time of the year, depending on specific location and vegetation conditions. Females alone incubate eggs and raise the young.
Song
The Cinnamon Hummingbird gives a variety of sharp, dry chips (chi-chi-chi-chi), high-pitched tseep notes, and rapid chattering calls. These vocalizations are commonly heard during territorial disputes around flowering plants and feeding areas, while males may also produce additional sounds during courtship displays and aerial interactions.
Migration
The Cinnamon Hummingbird is generally considered a resident or short-distance migrant throughout much of its range from western Mexico south into Central America. Most populations remain year-round in suitable habitats, although some birds make local seasonal movements in response to flowering cycles, rainfall patterns, and food availability. Unlike many North American hummingbirds, it is not known for long-distance continental migrations.
Feeders
Will attend hummingbird feeders
Similar Species
Buff-bellied Hummingbird. The Cinnamon Hummingbird and Buff-bellied Hummingbird can appear similar because both are medium-sized hummingbirds with warm-colored underparts and reddish bills. However, several features help separate them. The Cinnamon Hummingbird is much more uniformly cinnamon-rufous below, with rich rusty-orange coloration extending across the breast, belly, flanks, and often much of the tail. Its upperparts are mostly green, creating a strong contrast with the warm underparts.
The Buff-bellied Hummingbird is less intensely colored below, showing buffy or buff-gray underparts rather than deep cinnamon-rufous. It typically has a greener appearance overall and often shows a more obvious green breast and throat.
Range is often the easiest clue. Cinnamon Hummingbirds occur primarily along the Pacific slope of Mexico and into Central America, while Buff-bellied Hummingbirds are associated with the Gulf Coast of Mexico and are regular in southern Texas. A hummingbird's location is therefore often a strong indicator of which species is involved.
Conservation Status
There are currently no perceived major threats to Cinnamon Hummingbird populations, and Birdlife International cites it as a species of "Least Concern".
Photo Information
April 2010 - Jennifer Hemmings
Interactive eBird Map
Click to access the interactive eBird species sightings page for Cinnamon Hummingbird
