Appearance
The species ranges from 11–14 cm in length and weighs from 6 to 10 g , with males typically a little larger than females. Of the hummingbirds found in the United States, the magnificent hummingbird is one of the two largest species being rivaled only by the blue-throated hummingbird. In the southern reaches of its range, the magnificent may co-exist with other hummingbird species of comparable or slightly larger size. The black bill is long and straight to slightly curved. Both sexes look very dark unless the sun catches the iridescence of the plumage and the brilliant colours flash in the sunlight.The adult male is green-bronze dorsally, becoming more bronzed on the black-tipped tail. The crown is violet, the throat gorget bright blue-green, and the rest of the head black apart from a white spot behind the eye. The chest is green-bronze and the belly greyish.
The female magnificent hummingbird is bronze-green dorsally and has a dull grey ventral colouring. There is a white stripe behind her eye. Immature birds are like the female, but darker and browner.
Distribution
The bird breeds in mountains from the southwestern United States to western Panama. It inhabits the edges and clearings of montane oak forests from about 2000 m altitude up to the timberline.Behavior
The female is entirely responsible for nest building and incubation. She lays two white eggs in her bulky cup nest about 3 metres up near the tip of a descending branch stem. Incubation takes 15–19 days, and fledging another 20–26.The food of this species is nectar, taken from a variety of flowers, and some small insects. Magnificent hummingbird males perch conspicuously and defend their feeding territories aggressively. The call is a guttural ''drrrk''.
Habitat
The bird breeds in mountains from the southwestern United States to western Panama. It inhabits the edges and clearings of montane oak forests from about 2000 m altitude up to the timberline.References:
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