Selasphorus platycercus
The Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) is a stunning and characteristic resident of western North America's high-altitude landscapes. Males are instantly recognizable by their iridescent rose-red (magenta) gorget and metallic green back, complemented by a white breast and dark wings, reaching lengths of about 10-12 cm (4-4.7 inches) and weighing 3-4 grams. Their most distinctive field mark, however, is the loud, metallic trill produced by modified primary feathers during fligh...
Found in mountainous areas, typically favoring open pine-oak, spruce-fir, or aspen forests, high-elevation meadows, and canyons, often above 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) during the breeding season.
Primarily consumes nectar from a diverse range of flowering plants, supplementing this energy-rich diet with small insects and spiders for protein, often caught mid-flight or gleaned from vegetation.
Broad-tailed Hummingbirds are intensely active diurnal creatures, spending their days foraging and defending territories, often entering torpor during cold nights to conserve energy. Foraging involves hovering to sip nectar from a wide array of tubular flowers, employing a 'trap-lining' method, a...
The Broad-tailed Hummingbird breeds across a vast mountainous region of western North America, primarily within the Rocky Mountains and associated ranges. This breeding range extends from central Wyoming, through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, south into the high plateaus and mountains ...
Least Concern
- The male Broad-tailed Hummingbird's unique, metallic trill is produced by modified outer primary feathers (the 7th primary) that vibrate during flight, a sound unlike any other hummingbird. - They are one of the highest-breeding hummingbirds in North America, regularly nesting at elevations ove...