Cinnamon Hummingbird

Quick Facts

  • Scientific Name: Amazilia rutila
  • Spanish Name: Colibrí canela
  • Family: Trochilidae
  • Known Nicknames: Cinnamon-sided Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird (misnomer)
  • Average Length: 9–11 cm / 3.5–4.3 in
  • Average Weight: 4–5 g / 0.14–0.18 oz
  • Wingspan: 11–13 cm / 4.3–5.1 in
  • Key Feature: Uniform cinnamon-rufous underparts and tail, contrasting with green upperparts
  • Primary Diet: Primarily Nectarivore (nectar), also small arthropods
  • Range: Western Mexico (Sinaloa) south to Costa Rica, including Islas Marías and Tres Marías Islands
  • Habitat: Tropical dry forests, thorn scrub, forest edges, and second-growth woodland
  • Social Structure: Solitary; highly territorial at feeding sites
  • Nesting/Breeding: Small cup-shaped nest placed in a shrub or tree fork, often built with plant down and spider webs
  • Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
  • Population Trend: Stable

The Cinnamon Hummingbird (*Amazilia rutila*) is a dazzling jewel of the Pacific slopes, named for its rich, warm cinnamon-colored underparts that contrast sharply with its shimmering emerald-green back and crown. This medium-sized hummingbird is distinguished by its slightly decurved, black-tipped red bill, perfectly adapted for sipping nectar from tubular flowers like those of the coral tree and heliconia. A special feature is its iridescent, bronzy-gold throat and tail, which catch the light during its energetic, hovering flights. Agile and territorial, it often perches conspicuously on exposed branches, defending its feeding patches with sharp, chattering calls, making it a vibrant and spirited presence in dry forests and gardens from Mexico to Costa Rica.

Fun Facts

Despite its flashy cinnamon plumage, the Cinnamon Hummingbird has a bizarre habit of occasionally piercing the base of flowers to steal nectar, bypassing the bloom entirely like a feathered bandit. It also performs a unique “whisker flick” display during courtship, rapidly vibrating its long, bristle-like feathers around its bill. One of its most extreme adaptations is entering a deep torpor on chilly nights, dropping its body temperature by over 30°F to conserve energy, making it feel cold and stiff to the touch.

Habitats & Distribution

The Cinnamon Hummingbird inhabits a variety of semi-open and edge environments, including tropical deciduous forests, dry scrublands, thorn forests, and secondary growth areas. It is also commonly found in gardens, plantations, and along forest clearings, typically ranging from sea level up to around 2,500 meters in elevation. This species prefers arid to semi-humid lowland regions where flowering trees and shrubs are abundant for nectar feeding and nesting. Geographically, its range extends along the Pacific slope from northwestern Mexico southward through Central America, including the states of Sinaloa, Jalisco, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas, as well as the Baja California Peninsula. It is also present in western Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and northwestern Costa Rica, with isolated populations on the Bay Islands of Honduras and the Tres Marías Islands off Mexico’s coast.

Behaviours & Reproduction

Cinnamon Hummingbirds are generally solitary outside of breeding, with males defending feeding territories aggressively. Courtship involves the male performing aerial displays, including steep dives and pendulum-like swings to attract a female. After mating, the male takes no further part in reproduction. The female builds a small cup-shaped nest from plant fibers and spider webs, often on a low branch, and lays two white eggs. She incubates them for about 15-19 days and feeds the chicks regurgitated nectar and small insects. A unique strategy includes the female’s ability to delay egg-laying during poor food availability, though they are not known for multiple broods in a single season as commonly as some other hummingbirds. The young fledge after roughly 20-26 days.

Diet

The Cinnamon Hummingbird is primarily a nectarivore, feeding on the sugary liquid from a wide variety of tubular flowers, including those of the *Inga* tree and various species of *Heliconia* and *Lantana*. To supplement its high-energy diet, it also consumes small arthropods such as spiders, flies, and beetles, which provide essential protein and nutrients, especially during the breeding season. An interesting aspect of its feeding behavior is that it often defends rich flower patches aggressively, chasing away larger hummingbirds and even insects like butterflies. Additionally, like many hummingbirds, it can enter a state of torpor on cold nights to conserve energy, slowing its metabolism dramatically when food is scarce.

Colors

The Cinnamon Hummingbird (Amazilia rutila) is named for its rich, uniform cinnamon-rufous underparts and tail, contrasting with a metallic green back, head, and upperwings. It has a slender, slightly decurved black-tipped red bill and a small white spot behind the eye. Its rufous coloration acts as camouflage against dry tropical forest foliage and reddish bark, while the green upperparts help it blend into canopy leaves when viewed from above.