Calliope Hummingbird Stellula calliope
Flight call description A short, soft "twk", often repeated in a series.
Fig.1. Texas January 8, 2002 (John O'Brien).
Adult male in feeding flight.
Examples
Diurnal calling sequences:
1. Colorado August 13, 2001 (Chris L. Wood). Calls from a caged bird temporarily captured for banding.
2. Colorado August 13, 2001 (Chris L. Wood). Calls from a caged immature bird temporarily captured for banding.
3. Texas January 8, 2002 (John O'Brien). Adult male in feeding flight with House Sparrows calling in the background.
Similar species Very similar to Rufous Hummingbird but typically softer. Generally considered higher-pitched, but our sample size is too small to confirm this. Lower-pitched and softer than Buff-bellied.
Behavior Diurnal migrant. Nocturnal migration not documented. Gives flight call regularly year-round but is typically less vocal than other hummingbirds. Birds in migration flight may be mostly silent.