Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Selasphorus platycercus
The Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) is a common hummingbird found in 4 countries, weighing about 4 g. The broad-tailed hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird species found in highland regions from western United States and Western Canada to Mexico and Guatemala.
About the Broad-tailed Hummingbird
The broad-tailed hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird species found in highland regions from western United States and Western Canada to Mexico and Guatemala.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Medium in size, the broad-tailed hummingbird is 4 inches (10 cm) in length and possesses an overall wingspan of 5.25 inches (13.3 cm). Weighing around 3.6 grams (0.13 oz), the female tends to be slightly larger than the male. Adults of both sexes show an iridescent green back, white eye ring and a rounded black tail projecting beyond their wing tips, from which their name was inspired. This species shows sexual dimorphism, which means that male and female have different characteristics. The male possesses a characteristic bright rose-red gorget. Voice: The broad-tailed hummingbird produces several different sound patterns. This bird's call sounds like a sharp "cheet", which is repeated "cheet cheet cheet cheet...". Hummingbird wing beats have also been found to be a communication signal. These birds produce two different types of sound using their wing beat. The first one is a "wing hum" and is simply produced when the hummingbird flies.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada.
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
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Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Broad-tailed Hummingbird?
- Medium in size, the broad-tailed hummingbird is 4 inches (10 cm) in length and possesses an overall wingspan of 5.25 inches (13.3 cm). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Broad-tailed Hummingbird?
- The Broad-tailed Hummingbird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 4 g.
- Where can you see a Broad-tailed Hummingbird?
- The Broad-tailed Hummingbird occurs in 4 countries, including the United States, Mexico and Guatemala.
- What birds look similar to a Broad-tailed Hummingbird?
- The Broad-tailed Hummingbird is most easily confused with the Allen's Hummingbird, the Rufous Hummingbird and the Calliope Hummingbird.
- Is the Broad-tailed Hummingbird endangered?
- The Broad-tailed Hummingbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Broad-tailed Hummingbird for real
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