A desert hummingbird, Costa's Hummingbird breeds in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of California and Arizona. It departs the desert in the hottest days of summer, moving to chaparral, scrub, or woodland habitat.
Researchers have found that Costa's Hummingbird can enter a torpid state, with slowed heart rates and reduced body temperatures, under low ambient nighttime temperatures. The hearts of torpid Costa's Hummingbirds beat about 50 times per minute, while those of nontorpid resting Costa's Hummingbirds beat 500 to 900 times per minute.
Bibliographic Citation: "Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae)." The Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds.
Citation Link Accessed 24 Jan 2014.
