Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Selasphorus platycercus (Swainson, 1827)

3.5 gWeight

The broad-tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) is a medium-sized hummingbird species found in highland regions from western United States and Western Canada to Mexico and Guatemala.

Busiest months: April–May and August · Most records: United States, Mexico, Guatemala

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Broad-tailed Hummingbird has been recorded at 109 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ash Canyon Bird SanctuaryUnited States5,698 records
  2. Madera Canyon – Santa Rita LodgeUnited States4,234 records
  3. Mt. Lemmon – Rose Canyon and LakeUnited States4,174 records
More places
  1. Ramsey Canyon PreserveUnited States3,629 records
  2. Chatfield SP – Audubon Center & TrailsUnited States3,430 records
  3. Paton Center for HummingbirdsUnited States2,580 records
  4. Rio Grande Nature Center SPUnited States2,249 records
  5. PortalUnited States1,624 records
  6. Portal – Cave Creek RanchUnited States1,397 records
  7. Cave Creek Canyon – South ForkUnited States1,388 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesMexicoGuatemala

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The broad-tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) is a medium-sized hummingbird species found in highland regions from western United States and Western Canada to Mexico and Guatemala.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Broad-tailed Hummingbird?

The Broad-tailed Hummingbird weighs around 3.5 g.

Where does the Broad-tailed Hummingbird live?

Its breeding range: North America: west-central USA, Mexico and western Guatemala. It is most often recorded in United States, Mexico and Guatemala.

When is the best time to see the Broad-tailed Hummingbird?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April, May and August (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Broad-tailed Hummingbird endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Broad-tailed Hummingbird as Least Concern.

What does the Broad-tailed Hummingbird eat?

Main food: Nectar.

What family is the Broad-tailed Hummingbird in?

It belongs to the family Hummingbirds (Trochilidae), order Apodiformes.

At a glance

Weight
3.5 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Nectar
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
49 mm
Tail
32 mm
Bill
21 mm
Tarsus
5 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: west-central USA, Mexico and western Guatemala

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Hummingbirds Trochilidae
Genus
Selasphorus

Other birds in the genus Selasphorus

Calliope HummingbirdCalliope HummingbirdSelasphorus calliopeRufous HummingbirdRufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufusAllen's HummingbirdAllen's HummingbirdSelasphorus sasinBumblebee HummingbirdBumblebee HummingbirdSelasphorus heloisaWine-throated HummingbirdWine-throated HummingbirdSelasphorus elliotiVolcano HummingbirdVolcano HummingbirdSelasphorus flammulaScintillant HummingbirdScintillant HummingbirdSelasphorus scintillaGlow-throated HummingbirdGlow-throated HummingbirdSelasphorus ardensCrimson TopazCrimson TopazTopaza pellaFiery TopazFiery TopazTopaza pyra
Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ad Konings. ↗

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