Black-chinned Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird has surged: up 142% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Black-chinned Hummingbird
The Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) is a North American member of the Hummingbirds (Trochilidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 3–5 in long (8–13 cm) — a tiny hovering bird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 526 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 13 states, most concentrated in the Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau.
- Family
- Trochilidae · Forest birds
Notable Black-chinned Hummingbird TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for Black-chinned Hummingbird. See the full index history below.
Black-chinned Hummingbird Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Black-chinned Hummingbird is projected to rise about 70% by 2029 — from 0.05 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.09 (95% range 0.07–0.12). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±45.3%, with 20% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Black-chinned Hummingbird Is Detected
BBS routes recording Black-chinned Hummingbird, sized by most recent count.
Black-chinned Hummingbird Population Trend by State
| TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology → | Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology → | Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology → | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | -69% | 1970 | 55 |
| California | -52% | 1972 | 91 |
| Colorado | +68% | 1975 | 49 |
| Idaho | +148% | 1978 | 16 |
| Montana | -56% | 2000 | 6 |
| Nevada | +103% | 1992 | 17 |
| New Mexico | +57% | 1972 | 58 |
| Oklahoma | +213% | 2004 | 10 |
| Oregon | +20% | 1992 | 8 |
| Texas | +28% | 1969 | 112 |
| Utah | -26% | 1971 | 72 |
| Washington | +1% | 1972 | 29 |
| Wyoming | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
Black-chinned Hummingbird Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology → | Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology → | Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology → | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Basin | +202% | 1972 | 61 |
| Northern Rockies | +55% | 1977 | 36 |
| Sierra Nevada | -52% | 1975 | 6 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +9% | 1970 | 136 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -64% | 1975 | 27 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | +329% | 1973 | 19 |
| Edwards Plateau | +11% | 1969 | 19 |
| Oaks and Prairies | +48% | 1969 | 34 |
| Coastal California | -44% | 1972 | 64 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -20% | 1973 | 37 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -77% | 1970 | 27 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | +26% | 1970 | 44 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | +65% | 1974 | 11 |
Black-chinned Hummingbird Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 142% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.