Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Taxobox
name = Broad-tailed Hummingbird

---

image_width = 200px
image_caption = Adult male
status = LC
status_system = iucn3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
unranked_ordo = Cypselomorphae
ordo = Apodiformes
familia = Trochilidae
subfamilia = Trochilinae
genus = "Selasphorus"
species = "S. platycercus"
binomial = "Selasphorus platycercus"
binomial_authority = (Swainson, 1827)

The Broad-tailed hummingbird, "Selasphorus platycercus", is a medium-sized hummingbird, nearly four inches (10 cm) in length.

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. Female's tail feathers are tipped with a band of white. In flight the male's wings produce a distinct trilling sound diagnostic for this species.cite web
url=http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i4320id.html
title=Broad-tailed hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus
accessdate=2008-09-03
work=Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
publisher=United States Geological Survey (USGS)]

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 of 700-900 m up to 3.350 m ASL in the tropical parts of their range.Herrera "et al." (2006)]

Aside from the typical hummingbird diet of nectar and insects found at flower blossoms, [E.g. Ice-cream-bean ("Inga edulis"): Herrera "et al." (2006)] the broad-tailed hummingbird will also feed on foliageVerify source|date=September 2007 and actively hunt insects in flight. This species is not considered endangered; it appears to be able to adapt quite well to human-modified habitat and frequents shade coffee plantations.Herrera "et al." (2006)]

Nests are small cup of plant fibers woven together and bound to a branch with collected spider webs. The female lays two plain white eggs, that she alone will incubate for 16 days. Young broad-tailed hummingbirds fledge about 23 days after hatching.This species is known to hybridize with Costa's Hummingbird, but apparently only very rarely. [Huey (1944)]

Footnotes

References

*|year=2004|id=48466|title=Selasphorus platycercus|downloaded=9 May 2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
* (2006): Nuevos registros para la avifauna de El Salvador. ["New records for the avifauna of El Salvador"] . "Boletín de la Sociedad Antioqueña de Ornitología" 16(2): 1-19. [Spanish with English abstract] [http://www.sao.org.co/publicaciones/boletinsao/01-Herrera.etal.RecordsSalvador.pdf PDF fulltext]
* (1944): A hybrid Costa's × Broad-tailed hummingbird. "Auk" 61(4): 636-637. [http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v061n04/p0636-p0637.pdf PDF fulltext]

External links

* [http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i4320id.html Broad-tailed Hummingbird - "Selasphorus platycercus"] USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
* [http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Broad-tailed_Hummingbird.html Broad-tailed Hummingbird Species Account] - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
* [http://sdakotabirds.com/species/broad_tailed_hummingbird_info.htm Broad-tailed Hummingbird Information] - South Dakota Birds and Birding
* [http://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/broad-tailed-hummingbird.html#Nest-building Broad-tailed Hummingbird Nest with Chicks photo] - Birds of North America
* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=3303 Broad-tailed Hummingbird videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
* [http://www.bird-stamps.org/cspecies/8633400.htm Stamps] (for United States) with RangeMap
* [http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Common&KEYWORDS=broad-tailed+hummingbird&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 Broad-tailed Hummingbird photo gallery] VIREO