(Swifts and Hummingbirds)
California Biota Home Page....Animalia....Chordata....Vertebrata....Aves
Order
(Swifts and Hummingbirds)
These small, agile fliers have short necks, compact bodies, short legs with very small feet, a very short humerus (upper arm bone) in the wing, and rather elongated bones in the more distal portion of the wing. The primary flight feathers of the wing are long and well-developed, and the secondaries are somewhat shortened. The two families of Apodiformes that are found in California are easily distinguished from one another. Swifts (family Apodidae) have short bills with a wide gape, and have a short tongue. Swifts are aerial insectivores that hunt on the wing. The flower-visiting hummingbirds (family Trochilidae), have a long, slender bill (adapted for nectar feeding), and a long tongue.
The Order Apodiformes is represented in California by the following native and vagrant taxa:
| Family Apodidae (Swifts) | ||
| Genus Aeronautes | ||
| Aeronautes saxatalis (White-throated Swift) | ||
| Genus Chaetura | ||
| Chaetura pelagica (Chimney Swift) | ||
| Chaetura vauxi (Vaux's Swift) | ||
| Genus Cypseloides | ||
| Cypseloides niger (Black Swift) | ||
| Genus Streptoprocne | ||
| Streptoprocne zonaris (White-collared Swift)h | ||
| Family Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) | ||
| Genus Amazilia | ||
| Amazilia violiceps (Violet-crowned Hummingbird)h | ||
| Genus Archilochus | ||
| Archilochus alexandri (Black-chinned Hummingbird) | ||
| Archilochus colubris ( Ruby-throated Hummingbird)h | ||
| Genus Calypte | ||
| Calypte anna (Anna's Hummingbird) | ||
| Calypte costae (Costa's Hummingbird) | ||
| Genus Cynanthus | ||
| Cynanthus latirostris (Broad-billed Hummingbird)h | ||
| Genus Hylocharis | ||
| Hylocharis xantusii (Xantus' Hummingbird)h | ||
| Genus Lampornis | ||
| Lampornis clemenciae (Blue-throated Hummingbird)h | ||
| Genus Stellula | ||
| Stellula calliope (Calliope Hummingbird) | ||
| Genus Selasphorus | ||
| Selasphorus platycercus (Broad-tailed Hummingbird) | ||
| Selasphorus rufus (Rufous Hummingbird) | ||
| Selasphorus sasin (Allen's Hummingbird) | ||
| h = Vagrant | ||
