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Project Noah Nature School
Selasphorus platycercus
Male and female both have iridescent green backs and crowns and a white breast. The male has a gorget (throat patch) that shines with a brilliant red iridescence. The female is much duller with rust-colored, mottled flanks and underside; her tail feathers are tipped with a band of white. In flight the male's wings produce a distinct trilling sound diagnostic for this species.
The summer range of the Broad-tailed Hummingbird extends across mountain forests and meadows throughout the Western United States, specifically the Great Basin region and southwards; the resident birds range from the cordilleran mountain areas of northern Mexico as far south as Guatemala. At summer's end the northerly birds migrate and overwinter in the southern part of their range. This species is somewhat vagrant, especially wintering birds, and is regularly seen in El Salvador where it does not breed. They occur at altitudes ranging from 700–900 m (2,300–3,000 ft) up to 3,350 m (10,990 ft) ASL in the tropical parts of their range. Aside from the typical hummingbird diet of nectar and insects found at flower blossoms, the Broad-tailed Hummingbird will also actively hunt insects, both in flight and on foliage. This species is not considered endangered; it appears to be able to adapt quite well to human-modified habitat and frequents shade coffee plantations.
I can't guarantee that these are all the same bird. As one zips out, I look for it at another plant. However, it could have flown away as another zipped in. It gets pretty busy in my yard with the hummingbirds too. (A little story of truth) Once last year a heavy and fearful storm was blowing in, and early this year too. Both times, one of these females came flying up to my face just as the storm was about to hit and hovered in my face for a moment as if to tell me to RUN! And just as quickly as it disappeared both times, so did the threat of the storm. We got nothing out of either storm and I learned that these hummingbirds were actually telling me, "It's nothing to worry about."
@ everyone involved in this topic. Thank you for taking time to teach me some things. It's been a great experience for me ")
Thanks RyanWarner! This is a tough call for me to make but since it is two to one and the bird is obviously female. My call is going to go toward the Broad-Tailed too. I see that it's back is iridescent and the rust and some yellow in the flanks.
My concern with this being a Ruby is two fold. 1:The white and black in the tail. 2:The mandible size and shape. I'm leaning more towards Broad at this point. Eye rings aren't the best ID'ing tool when it cones to hummingbirds.
@ EmilyMarino, these markings on the throat that the femal broad-tailed hummingbirds have, weren't there but I guess with the juveniles, it may not be. But the one clear marking that I am seeing are the eyes. The white in the broad-tailed is completely around the eyes and in the ruby-throated it is only in the top portions. Correct me if I am wrong, please.
@ EmilyMarino, I wasn't close enough this time to hear it make it's sound. Though we do have the Ruby-throated hummingbirds here. I'll do a bit of looking into your suggestion too. Thank you ")
Do you recall if it made a "cricket-like" sounds when it flew? If so, it's a broad-tailed hummingbird!
Thank you for the suggestion, Ritsuka. ") And for the link, it looks like a handy site.
Spotted on Aug 28, 2012
Submitted on Sep 3, 2012
