An inhabitant of shady pine-oak canyons, this large hummingbird builds its cup-like nest low in shrubbery. The nest is made of spider webbing, moss and plant material and covered on the outside with lichens. The large body size makes it possible to bully other smaller hummingbird species and dominate flower patches where it drinks nectar and catches spiders and other small insects. In the latter part of the breeding season, males abandon the nesting area and the females by moving to higher elevations.
The four-digit banding code is BLUH.
