© David McDonald
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Selasphorus platycercus
Family: (Trochilidae) Hummingbirds
Preferred Habitat: Gardens, anywhere suitable flowers are found.
Seasonal Occurrence: Uncommon September through April.
Notes: Broad-tailed Hummingbirds are more common on the Upper Texas Coast than one might suspect. Because of identification challenges, males can be confused with male Ruby-throats and females/immatures with Rufous Hummingbirds. As the name implies, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds have longer and wider tails than do Ruby-throats. The tails of male Broad-tailed are tinged with rufous. The throat color of males is rosier red than that of male Ruby-throats. Also, note the white chin at the base of the lower part of the bill. For most males the white extends in a line from the chin to the eye-ring to the neck. Male Ruby-throats have dark chins. Broad-tailed Hummingbirds also have a distinctive wing whistle. Female Broad-tails are best distinguished from female Rufous by their larger tails.
- Susan Billetdeaux
