How to Identify a Broad-Billed Hummingbird

What Does a Broad-Billed Hummingbird Look Like?

Courtesy Jane Miller

Even for hummingbirds, broad-billed hummingbirds are stunning little creatures. The males sport vibrant emerald bodies, iridescent sapphire throats and bright red bills tipped with black. The females deserve equal admiration with their sleek gray bodies and a distinct white line next to each eye. 

“This is the wow hummingbird of North America,” says Dan Weisz, an expert naturalist, photographer and volunteer presenter at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. 

And they’re not all that hard to see most of the year as they flit from backyard feeders to their favorite native flowers.

Range and Habitat

Daniel A. Leifheit/Getty Images

The broad-billed hummingbird lives predominantly in Mexico and southeastern Arizona. However, its range is expanding as more birds overwinter in the U.S. 

They’ve also turned up in unexpected places such as California, Oregon and even the Great Lakes region. Two recent sightings in Colorado turned out to be birds originally banded in Louisiana, says Sheri Williamson, author of Peterson’s A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America. 

“They have a penchant for wandering,” she says. “That can cause pretty thrilling responses when you look out your window.”

Courtesy Johnny Bliznak

Dan suggests heading to the Tucson area in the spring, summer or fall for a chance to see these jeweled fliers. Visit the Paton Center for Hummingbirds and Santa Rita Lodge. Also look for the birds in lower foothills with thorny vegetation and oak trees.

Learn more about amazing Arizona hummingbirds (and the best places to see them).

Calls and Sounds

Bird sounds courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology 

For Sheri, the broad-billed hummingbird is more than lovely feathers. It’s crafty, bold and curious.

During banding at the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, the birds raise a ruckus when handled, but when released near food, they stand up and proudly look around. She’s even had one buzz over her head while flying back and forth to a backyard feeder. 

Courtesy Jennifer Smith

“He was letting me know the sugar water was not up to his standard,” Sheri says. “Even if broad-bills were the ugliest hummingbird on the planet, they would be fascinating because of their behavior and intelligence.”

Nesting Habits

Courtesy Adam Mcmillen

When it comes to attracting mates, these showy birds never needed to develop advanced aerial acrobatics like other hummingbirds, possibly because they’re so naturally flashy, according to Sheri. The males simply fly back and forth in front of females, singing along with their easy movements.

To avoid predation, the broad-billed hummingbird builds its nests on long, thin branches or in clusters of vines. “Then, snakes don’t have a whole lot to hang onto. They’re more likely to fall off before they actually get to where the eggs and babies are,” Sheri says. 

Broad-bill nests are also uniquely deep, requiring the female to fold almost in half as she rests on her eggs. Even more intriguing, observers have noticed that females often build nests underneath or near hawks’ nests, possibly as a way to protect their babies from other predators. 

Sheri’s take on this interesting partnership? “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” she says.

About the Experts

A retired public school educator, Dan Weisz has been a volunteer presenter at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for several years. He is a naturalist, photographer and birder.

Sheri Williamson is a naturalist, ornithologist, writer and public speaker. She is the author of A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America, part of the Peterson Field Guide series.

Sources

• Tucson Audubon
• Paton Center for Hummingbirds
• Santa Rita Lodge
• U.S. Forest Service
• National Audubon Society – broad-billed hummingbird
• All About Birds – Broad-billed hummingbird

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