Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Selasphorus platycercus
Overview
The Broad-tailed Hummingbird is a high-altitude specialist, breeding in mountain meadows and pine forests up to 10,500 feet. Males produce a distinctive wing trill that's been compared to a cricket's chirp.
Length
9–10.2 cm (3.5–4 in)
Weight
2.8–4.5 g
Wingspan
13.3 cm (5.2 in)
Lifespan
Up to 12 years
Fun Fact
“Broad-tailed Hummingbirds have special blood hemoglobin that binds oxygen more efficiently — a high-altitude adaptation!”
Fascinating Facts
- 1
Males produce a cricket-like wing trill in flight
- 2
Physiologically adapted to cold — can endure near-freezing temperatures
- 3
Females often return to the same nesting site each year
- 4
Among the highest-altitude breeding hummingbirds in North America
- 5
Can enter torpor at night, dropping heart rate from 1,260 to 50 beats per minute
Migration & Nesting
Northward Migration
April–May
Southward Migration
August–October
Nesting Season
May–August
Garden Tips & Preferred Flowers
Plant these nectar-rich flowers to attract Broad-tailed Hummingbird to your garden:
