Introduction
Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Eugenes fulgens, is a large mountain hummingbird of the pine-oak forests and shaded canyons of the southwestern United States, Mexico and northern Central America. It was formerly widely known as the Magnificent Hummingbird. Adult males are especially striking, with a purple crown, emerald-green throat and dark body that can appear almost black in poor light.
Physical Description
Rivoli’s Hummingbird measures about 11 to 14 centimetres in length and weighs approximately 7 to 8 grams. It is one of the larger hummingbirds in its range, with a long, almost straight bill, long wings and a broad tail with a shallow fork.
Adult males are dark green above and blackish below. In good light, the crown flashes violet-purple and the throat shows bright emerald or blue-green iridescence. A small white mark behind the eye is visible in both sexes, although it is usually more pronounced in males.
Females are less brightly coloured, with greenish upperparts and greyish underparts. They usually show a pale streak behind the eye and limited pale edging on the outer tail feathers. Immature males resemble females at first and gradually develop the darker plumage and iridescent crown and throat of adults.
Range and Habitat
Rivoli’s Hummingbird occurs from the mountainous southwestern United States, mainly in Arizona and New Mexico, south through Mexico to Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and northern Nicaragua. Its distribution is associated with mountain ranges and is not continuous across all lowland areas.
It favours pine-oak woodland, mixed conifer forest, cloud forest, open montane woodland, forest edges, clearings and shady canyons. It is often found near streams or other places where flowering plants are concentrated. The species commonly occurs between about 1,500 and 2,700 metres, although it may be found at higher or lower elevations when flowers and other food sources are available.
Populations at the northern end of the range are more mobile and may move south or to lower elevations during colder periods. Farther south, the species is more often resident, although local movements still occur in response to flowering and weather conditions.
Taxonomy and nomenclature
The name Eugenes fulgens means shining or glittering, referring to the bird’s iridescent plumage. Modern classifications recognise Rivoli’s Hummingbird as distinct from the Talamanca Hummingbird, Eugenes spectabilis, which occupies highlands farther south in Costa Rica and western Panama. Some older sources and conservation databases may still use the former broader treatment, Magnificent Hummingbird, for the combined group.
Where to See This Species
Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona, United States
Chiricahua National Monument supports pine-oak woodland, canyon vegetation and other habitats associated with southeastern Arizona’s exceptional bird diversity. The National Park Service lists the Magnificent Hummingbird, the former common name for Rivoli’s Hummingbird, among the hummingbirds documented in the Chiricahua Mountains. Look in wooded canyons, riparian areas and flowering clearings, particularly during the warmer months.
Nearby accommodation: Portal and Willcox are the most practical gateway communities, with guest houses, motels, cabins, lodges and camping options in the wider area.
El Tepozteco National Park, Morelos, Mexico
The management programme for El Tepozteco National Park records Eugenes fulgens among the park’s birds. The park’s pine-oak woodland, forest edges and montane ravines provide suitable habitat. Early mornings and periods of local flowering are the best times to search quiet trails and forest margins.
Nearby accommodation: Tepoztlán is the principal gateway, with hotels, guest houses, cabins and self-catering accommodation.
Barranca del Cupatitzio National Park, Michoacán, Mexico
The conservation programme for Barranca del Cupatitzio National Park records Eugenes fulgens. Its wooded ravines, streams and flowering vegetation provide appropriate habitat for a nectar-feeding mountain hummingbird. Search along shaded paths, streamside vegetation and open patches within the forest.
Nearby accommodation: Uruapan is the nearest practical base, offering hotels, guest houses and self-catering accommodation.
Behaviour and Diet
Rivoli’s Hummingbird feeds mainly on nectar from flowering plants, including salvias, penstemons, agaves, columbines, thistles and other plants with tubular flowers. It also eats small insects and spiders, which it catches in the air or gleans from foliage and bark. In some areas it follows a regular route between widely separated flower patches, a behaviour known as traplining.
Although it may defend a particularly productive flower patch or feeder, it is not consistently dominant over all other hummingbirds. Encounters can become aggressive, especially where food is concentrated, but the species often forages without prolonged conflict.
Like other hummingbirds, Rivoli’s Hummingbird can hover while feeding and can enter torpor during cold nights to reduce energy loss. Its long bill allows it to reach nectar in flowers that are less accessible to shorter-billed hummingbirds.
The female builds the nest, incubates the eggs and raises the young without assistance from the male. The nest is a small cup made from plant fibres, moss and other soft materials, held together with spider silk and often decorated with lichen. It is usually placed on a horizontal branch, frequently near a stream or other sheltered site. A clutch normally contains two white eggs, incubated for about 15 to 19 days. Breeding timing varies across the range, with nesting in the northern part of the distribution generally occurring during spring and summer.
Identification Tips
- Look for a large, lanky hummingbird with a long, nearly straight bill and a broad, shallowly forked tail.
- Adult males appear dark overall, especially in shade. Sunlight can reveal a violet-purple crown and brilliant emerald or blue-green throat.
- The small white mark behind the eye is a useful feature on both sexes.
- Females are green above and greyish below, with a pale mark behind the eye and pale edging on parts of the tail.
- Rivoli’s Hummingbird is noticeably larger than a Black-chinned Hummingbird and has a longer, straighter bill. It is generally slightly smaller than a Blue-throated Mountain-gem, although the two species can occur in the same mountain habitats.
- A steady movement between several flower patches may indicate traplining rather than persistent defence of a single feeding station.
Conservation Status
Rivoli’s Hummingbird is generally treated as Least Concern and is described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as being of low conservation concern. Its population trend is not well documented, so a stable global population should not be assumed with certainty.
The main long-term concern is the loss and degradation of montane forest, including pine-oak woodland, mixed conifer forest, shaded canyons and riparian corridors. Deforestation, land-use change, development, severe wildfire and changes in flowering patterns may reduce feeding and nesting opportunities in some regions. Protecting mountain forests, maintaining native flowering plants and safeguarding streams and forest edges are important conservation measures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Rivoli’s Hummingbird live?
It lives in mountainous forests and canyons from the southwestern United States through Mexico to Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and northern Nicaragua.
What does Rivoli’s Hummingbird look like?
It is a large hummingbird with a long, nearly straight bill. Adult males have a purple crown, an iridescent green throat and a dark body, while females are green above and greyish below.
What does Rivoli’s Hummingbird eat?
Its diet consists mainly of flower nectar, supplemented by small insects and spiders. It may catch insects in flight or collect them from vegetation.
Is Rivoli’s Hummingbird migratory?
Movement varies across its range. Birds in the northern part of the distribution may move south or to lower elevations seasonally, while populations farther south are more often resident.
Where is the best place to see Rivoli’s Hummingbird?
Reliable publicly accessible locations include Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona, El Tepozteco National Park in Morelos and Barranca del Cupatitzio National Park in Michoacán. Mountain forests, shaded canyons, streams and flowering clearings are the most promising habitats.
Is Rivoli’s Hummingbird endangered?
It is generally treated as Least Concern, but habitat loss and degradation in montane forests remain important regional threats. Population monitoring is incomplete, particularly across parts of Mexico and Central America.
References
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- IOC World Bird List
- National Park Service
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