The Rivoli’s Hummingbird

A Rivoli’s Hummingbird is a fun bird to see while bird watching. Below are some tips to help you identify Rivoli’s Hummingbirds. We have also put together a list of fun Rivoli’s Hummingbird t-shirts, Rivoli’s Hummingbird bird patches, birdhouses, bird feeders, binoculars, stickers, and other fun bird watching items.

About Rivoli’s Hummingbirds

The Rivoli’s Hummingbird is also known as the Magnificent Hummingbird and is native to North America especially in Mexico. It is considered a large bird among other hummingbirds. It is a multicolored hummingbird whose status in the limited US is stable. Its numbers are declining in Mexico and Central America because of the loss of habitat.

Description and Identification

Rivoli’s Hummingbirds are the second largest hummingbird species found in the U.S. These birds
are 4.3-5.5 inches long, with a wingspan of approximately 7.1 inches. Their weight ranges from
0.21-0.35 oz. Blue-throated hummingbirds are the only hummingbirds that are larger than Rivoli’s
Hummingbirds in the U.S. These birds have black long straight bills that are slightly curved. Both
male and female Rivoli’s Hummingbirds appear dark unless their iridescent plumage is visible in
the sunlight. These beautiful birds have a very vibrantly colored plumage. Adult males have
green-bronze backs that become even more bronzed on their black tails. Their crows are violet, and
the center of their throats is bright emerald. The belly of Rivoli’s Hummingbirds is grayish, and
their breasts are green-bronze. Females are slightly duller than males, and the immatures look
similar to the females, but they are slightly darker.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird Color Pattern

Without the sun catching their iridescence of the plumage, both sexes seem very dark. The male is green-bronze on its dorsal becoming more bronze towards the black-tipped tail. Their throat gorget is bright blue-green while the crown is violet. They have a white spot behind the eye while the rest of the head is black. They have a bronze-green chest.

The female is bronze-green on the upperparts. She has a white stripe behind her eyes while her underparts are dull grey.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird Size

They are the second-largest bird in the hummingbird family. Their body length ranges between 11-14cm and has a wingspan that is approximately 18cm. Their body mass is 6 to 10g.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird Behavior

In the southern stretches of its range, the Rivoli’s Hummingbird socializes with other conspecific birds to the extent of crossbreeding with them. This means that the males can be highly territorial in other areas but nonterritorial in the southern stretches of its range.

They are trapliners as they follow a specific route while foraging for food. They feed on flower nectar by hovering and catch insects mid-air by dashing.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird Food

Rivoli’s Hummingbirds mainly sustain on floral nectar they extract from the variety of flowers
available in their habitats. Spiders and insects also form a small portion of their diet. These birds
have especially long bills which make it possible for them to extract nectar from longer flowers.
Rivoli’s Hummingbirds strategically feed on several patches of flowers so that the flowers get
enough time to rejuvenate. These birds might not allow certain smaller hummingbirds to feed on
the plants they like. Plants that Rivoli’s Hummingbirds commonly feed on are bouvardias, beard lip
penstemons, fuchsias, lion’s-ears, bellflowers, butterfly bushes, and columbines. Another source of
nutrition for them is the sugary water excreted by some insects.

Their main diet is nectar and insects. The young are mostly fed insects because nectar has no proteins. They also feed on sugar-water mixture from hummingbird feeders.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird Habitat

Rivoli’s Hummingbirds are commonly found in pine-oak forests in the mountains of the Southwest.
These birds can be found in elevations between 5,000-9,000 feet. Their elevations vary according
to the availability of flowers in their range. These birds are attracted to forests’ edges and gaps
which have an abundant supply of flowers. Their nesting habitats are generally near streams.
Trees that are commonly used for nesting by these birds are Mexico stone pines, alligator junipers,
ponderosa pines, Arizona sycamores, Colorado white firs, Arizona walnuts, and Douglas-firs. In
colder weather, Rivoli’s Hummingbirds might come down to lower elevations.

The Rivoli’s Hummingbird is frequently found in the dry pine-oak forest. They live in riparian habitats in small mountain ranges and ravines of southern Arizona and New Mexico.

Range and Migration

Rivoli’s Hummingbirds are large hummingbirds that have a breeding range that extends from the
mountains in the southwestern U.S. to Honduras and Nicaragua in Central America. These birds
migrate north during spring towards their breeding grounds. These grounds are usually located in
Arizona and New Mexico. Rivoli’s Hummingbirds are very widespread throughout its extensive
range. Although abundantly found, these birds are very secretive in nature, hence there isn’t a lot
of information about their migration.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird Life Cycle

The female lays two eggs and incubates them alone for 16 days before the young hatch. She feeds them until they are ready to take their first flight at 20-26 days. The Rivoli’s Hummingbird has a lifespan of 3-5 years.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird Nesting

Rivoli’s Hummingbirds generally choose their nests in trees over streams. These nests are open
cups that are lined with mosses, small leaves, and soft feathers. Rivoli’s Hummingbirds’ nests are
bound together with spider silk. Female Rivoli’s Hummingbirds lay an average of 2 eggs which
need to be incubated for 15-19 days.

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for Identifying Rivoli’s Hummingbirds

The most common types of bird-watching binoculars for viewing Rivoli’s Hummingbirds are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird T-shirts

If you love the Rivoli’s Hummingbird you should purchase a Bird Watching Academy & Camp T-shirt. To help support bird conservation we donate 10 percent to bird conservation activities.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird Iron On Patches

Kids, Youth, and Adults love to collect our Bird Watching Academy & Camp iron-on patches. Our bird-watching patches help you keep track of the birds you have seen and identified. You can also display the patches on our Bird Watching Academy & Camp banners.

The Rivoli’s Hummingbird is a great iron-on patch to start your collection with. The patches are durable and can be sewn on or ironed on to just about anything.

Rivoli’s Hummingbird Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Rivoli’s Hummingbird. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders for Rivoli’s Hummingbirds

There are many types of bird feeders. Here are our favorite bird feeders for your backyard. We use all of these bird feeders currently. Kids will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. Using this collection of bird feeders will provide a wide variety and many types of birds.

Best Bird Houses for Rivoli’s Hummingbirds

There are many types of birdhouses. Building a birdhouse is always fun but can be frustrating. These 4 birdhouses have become our favorites. Getting a birdhouse for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. We spent a little extra money on these birdhouses but they have been worth the higher price and look great.