Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Broad-tailed Hummingbird
(Selasphorus platycercus)
Accounts of the Broad-tailed Hummingbird mention that it nests in the same tree or bush year after year, a phenomenon known as philopatry -- faithfulness to the previous home area. It will return to the same branch and even build a new nest atop an old one.

Physical Description
Average weight: male 3.16 g, female 3.6 g. Females are larger than males.

Plumage
Adult male: Metallic green back and crown, white breast, rose gorget, rounded tail.
Adult female: Green back and crown, white throat and breast with black spots, rusty sides, green central tail feathers; outer tail feathers are rusty at base, black in middle, and white at tips.

Habitat
Mountain meadows, pinyon-juniper woodlands, dry ponderosa pines, fir or mixed forests, and canyon vegetation.

Distribution
Observed in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Winters in Mexico.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird Range Map