Six species of hummingbirds have been reliably recorded in Santa Cruz County. Three of these -- Anna’s, Allen’s and Rufous hummingbirds – are a regular part of the county’s avifauna. Three others – Black-chinned, Costa’s and Calliope – have been found only rarely over the years. This note describes the occurrence of these latter three in the county. Table 1 lists the accepted records of each species.

Identification of hummingbirds present challenges, even when dealing with adult males. In some cases, observers see an unusual hummer in their yard, but may have little or no prior experience with the rare species. Sometimes poor views of a regular species, or an encounter with an aberrant or hybrid individual have led to misidentifications. Females and some immature males are particularly difficult to identify. Indeed, females of the Black-chinned and Costa’s hummingbirds were identified only recently in the county’s history (both 1994).

Although they are rarities in the Santa Cruz Mountains region, Black-chinned Hummingbird nests in adjacent Monterey, San Benito and Santa Clara counties, and Costa’s Hummingbird nests in Monterey and San Benito. The Calliope Hummingbird does not nest in the central coast region. Other rare species have been found occasionally in adjacent counties, such as Broad-billed Hummingbird in San Mateo and Monterey Counties, and Broad-tailed in Santa Clara County. (See below regarding unaccepted records of these two species in Santa Cruz).

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Thirteen accepted records. The 1990-1999 average was 0.7 per year. Records have been evenly divided between spring and fall, with one found in between. The six spring records were from March 2 – May 21, with four from May 1-21. All spring records have been of adult males. The six fall records spanned August 11 – September 14. These included two adult males, one immature male, two females, and one that was a female or immature male. An adult male on July 1 occurred between the spring and fall periods. Most have been single day sightings, but three records (all from fall) involved birds known to linger for two, seven and 15 days. Black-chins have occurred from the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the immediate coast, but 75% have been within two miles of the coastline. They have been found in gardens, at hummingbird feeders, and in riparian woodland and chaparral.
 
 

Costa’s Hummingbird

Nine accepted records. The 1990-1999 average was 0.4 per year. There were five spring records from March 12 – April 30, of which four were adult males and one a female (the only female yet identified in the county). The three fall records included an immature male on July 14-16, an adult male on September 24, and a territorial adult male that resided in a Seascape yard from at least August 30 to November 2. Another territorial adult male found at Sierra Azul Nursery near Watsonville on November 1 over-wintered there and was last reported on April 25. Costa’s records have been widely distributed through the county, but three have come from the U.C.S.C. Arboretum. They have been found in gardens, at feeders, in riparian woodland and chaparral.

Calliope Hummingbird

Six accepted records. The 1990-1999 average was 0.2 per year. The five records with specific dates were from spring, spanning March 11 – June 3. Another was found dead at Pasatiempo in the "summer." Unlike the other rare hummers, Calliope females have been found more frequently than males, accounting for four of the six records. All records have been single day sightings. Except for the bird at Pasatiempo that was a few miles inland, all the others have been from the mountains further inland. They have been found in gardens, at feeders and in chaparral.

Unaccepted Species

Two additional species have been reported in the county with supporting documentation, but are not accepted for the county list. The California Bird Records Committee did not accept a 1986 report of a female and immature Broad-billed Hummingbird. (Western Birds 22:123). A 1979 report of a Broad-tailed Hummingbird was published in J. Morlan and R. Erickson’s 1988 "Supplement to the Birds of Northern California" (Golden Gate Audubon Soc.), and it was previously included on the county list on the basis of that publication. However, recent review of the supporting details found them to be unconvincing and I have removed the species from the county list.
 
 

Table 1. Records of rare hummingbird species in Santa Cruz County, California.
 

Black-chinned Hummingbird
Date	Location	Age/sex	Observer(s)
7/1/1973	La Selva	ad. male	Albrights, H. Bradt
5/1/1976	Summit Ridge	ad. male	D. Bockman
5/9/1976	Summit Ridge	ad. male	R. Morgan
8/13-20/1982	Glen Canyon Rd	ad. male	B. Scharfenstien, m.ob.
4/9/1985	Soquel	ad. male	R. Morgan
3/2/1988	UCSC Arboretum	ad. male	E. Lebow
8/11-12/1992	Glen Canyon Rd	ad. male	B. Scharfenstein
9/3-18/1994	Natural Bridges SB	female	S. Gerow, R. Merrill
5/21/1995	Antonelli Pond	ad. male	J. Davis
8/14/1996	Santa Cruz	imm. male	S. Gerow
8/31/1996	Meder Canyon	female	S. Gerow
5/10/1997	Noble Gulch, Capitola	ad. male	D. Suddjian
9/14/99	Santa Cruz	female/imm.	S. Gerow
Costa's Hummingbird
Date	Location	Age/sex	Observer(s)
7/14-16/1985	Glen Canyon Rd	imm. male	B. Scharfenstein, m.ob.
3/12-14/1986	Bear Creek Rd	ad. male	L. Madrid
4/23/1987	UCSC Arboretum	ad. male	D. Suddjian
4/12/1988	Spanish Ranch Rd	ad. male	D. Suddjian
9/24/1990	Neary Lagoon	ad. male	D. Suddjian
4/30/1994	UCSC Arboretum	female	S. Gerow
11/1/1994 - 4/25/1995	Watsonville	ad. male	A. Harrold, m.ob.
8/30-11/2/1996	Rio Del Mar	ad. male	S. Edwards
3/21/2000	UCSC Arboretum	ad. male	B. Whitney
Calliope Hummingbird
Date	Location	Age/sex	Observer(s)
4/23/1974	Redwood Glen	female	E. McClintock
3/11/1975	Scotts Valley	ad. male	G. Meyer
summer 1976	Pasatiempo	ad. male	E. Corrider
5/5/1988	Eureka Canyon Rd	female	D. Suddjian
5/15/1995	Long Ridge Rd	female	D. Suddjian
6/3/1996	Ben Lomond	female	R. Merrill