Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Selasphorus platycercus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernNectarForestCup nestTiny · 4 g

ID tip

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.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Broad-tailed Hummingbird

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 6 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 3 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada.

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.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Broad-tailed Hummingbird vs Rufous Hummingbird · Allen's Hummingbird vs Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird vs Calliope Hummingbird

Watch the Broad-tailed Hummingbird on live cams

West Texas Hummingbird Feeders stream previewRETURNS SPRING
West Texas Hummingbird FeedersFort Davis, Texas, USA · Cornell Lab Bird Cams / West Texas Avian Research

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Learn the Broad-tailed Hummingbird in the BeakBrain App

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