Hybrid Costa's X Lucifer Hummingbird (Calypte costae X Calothorax lucifer ), Ash Canyon B&B, Cochise County

This Hybrid Hummingbird was discovered and photographed by Charles Melton on 12 July 2010. 

Initially, it was felt this bird was an Anna's X Lucifer hybrid.  Sheri Williamson (author of the Peterson Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America) writes:  "The postocular iridescent patch and primary molt point to Calypte, with Anna's being more likely than Costa's based on the long tail and shape of the gorget, while the primary curvature, bill curvature, and tail length (proportionally longer than Anna's) suggests Lucifer."

However, the bird was subsequently heard singing a Costa's type song by both Nick Bonomo and Charles Melton, indicating that as the more likely second parent.  Sheri writes:  " I came down on the side of Anna's x Lucifer based on tail length and gorget shape. Guess the Lucifer side exerted a little more influence in those areas than we might have expected, keeping the tail long and gorget short."

There was some discussion that there might be two different hybrid birds involved but close examination of the various photographs is consistent with only a single bird. 

This is likely the first documented occurrence of this hybrid combination. 

12 July 2010, photos by Charles Melton

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