The Broad-billed Hummingbird is a small, vibrantly colored bird that is found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. With its bright metallic green body, bold white stripes on its tail, and long, curved bill, this hummingbird has a very distinctive appearance. While it may be small in stature, the Broad-billed Hummingbird leads a fascinating life. From its specialized feeding behaviors to its unique courtship displays, there is much more to this tiny bird than meets the eye. Here we will explore some of the most intriguing facts about the Broad-billed Hummingbird’s anatomy, habitat, diet, reproduction, and more.
Physical Characteristics
The Broad-billed Hummingbird gets its common name from its unusually wide, long bill which measures around .5 inches in length. This gives them a very distinctive facial profile. Their bill is perfectly adapted for accessing nectar from certain tubular desert flowers. Other defining physical features include:
- Size: 3.5-4.3 inches long with a wingspan of 4.7 inches
- Weight: 2-3 grams on average
- Metallic green plumage on head, back, and chest
- White or grey colored underside/belly
- Striking white stripes on long black tail
- Males have a bright fuchsia-red throat patch (called a gorget)
- Females have a pale white throat and lack the vibrant red gorget
In terms of size, the Broad-billed Hummingbird is one of the larger hummingbird species found in North America. Their relatively large stature helps them bully other smaller hummingbirds away from food sources.
Habitat and Range
The Broad-billed Hummingbird is native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. Their breeding habitat ranges across Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and inland southern California. During winter months, they migrate to Mexico.
This species occupies both mountainous and desert habitats within its range. They are a common sight in canyons, foothills, and mountain forests where flowering plants and feeders are available. Within desert environments, Broad-billed Hummingbirds tend to be associated with riparian areas near streams or oases that support stands of trees and scrubs.
A few key plants that frequently occur in Broad-billed Hummingbird habitat include:
- Ocotillo
- Chuparosa
- Yucca
- Prickly pear cactus
- Hummingbird bush
- Desert willow
Diet
Like all hummingbirds, the Broad-billed Hummingbird has a very specialized diet centered around accessing floral nectar. Their diet consists primarily of:
- Nectar – The main energy source obtained from flower nectar of plants adapted to pollination by hummingbirds.
- Small insects – Small spiders and insects provide essential proteins. Preferred insects include gnats, fruit flies, tree sap bugs, bark lice, and spiders.
- Tree sap – Occasionally they will drink leaking sap from bore holes in trees made by sapsucker woodpeckers.
- Pollen – While feeding on nectar, they pick up traces of pollen on their bills and heads. Some pollen is eaten to obtain vitamins and minerals.
Their unique bill shape perfectly matches the shape of certain tubular desert flowers, allowing easy access to nectar. When feeding, their long tongue darts in and out of these flowers at rapid speeds.
Some of the Broad-billed Hummingbird’s favorite nectar sources include ocotillo, Indian paintbrush, penstemon, aloe, sage, and hummingbird bush. They vigorously defend flower territories and will chase away other hummingbirds or insects trying to feed on their plants.
To obtain protein from small insects, the Broad-billed Hummingbird will precisely pick prey items off of leaves, or perform aerial acrobatics to catch insects in midair. Their excellent vision and maneuverability allow them to target even the smallest gnats and fruit flies.
Reproduction
The breeding season for Broad-billed Hummingbirds typically ranges from November to June. As part of their elaborate courtship rituals, males perform dramatic aerial displays, flying in loops up to 100 feet in the air and then diving toward the ground. They also vocalize shrill chirps and songs to attract females.
Females build a tiny cup-shaped nest out of soft materials such as spider webs, down, feathers, and cottonwood fluff. Nest sites are often located in protected microclimates provided by trees, shrubs, or rock overhangs. The female alone cares for the nest, incubating the eggs and feeding the hatchlings.
Key facts about their reproduction include:
- Clutch Size: Typically 2 tiny white eggs per clutch, about 0.5 inches long
- Incubation Period: Eggs hatch after 12-19 days of incubation
- Fledging Period: Chicks leave the nest at 20-26 days old
- Broods per Year: 2-3 broods
The miniscule eggs and hatchlings grow incredibly fast. Hatchlings increase their body weight by 25 times in just 18 days! Nestlings develop quickly so they can take advantage of the period of abundant flower blooms.
Migration
Broad-billed Hummingbirds migrate through a combination of nocturnal flight and rest stops to fuel up. In spring and fall, these tiny birds may travel over 800 miles between their breeding grounds and overwintering habitat in Mexico.
Their migration route runs south through Arizona and into Mexico. Migration seems to be triggered by food availability and flowering schedules rather than temperature minimums. southward movement typically begins in late summer, often July and August. Spring migration back north generally occurs between late February and early May.
During migration, Broad-billed Hummingbirds rely heavily on flowering plants and artificial feeders along their travel corridor as stopover food sources to replenish energy. Some zones of especially dense vegetation and feeding stations along their path are popular resting and refueling hotspots.
Threats and Conservation Status
There are a few key threats facing wild Broad-billed Hummingbird populations:
- Habitat loss – Urbanization, agriculture, mining, grazing has degraded native habitat.
- Climate change – Threatens flowering patterns and migration scheduling.
- Pesticides – Can accumulate in bird tissues and may affect reproduction.
- Window collisions – Hummingbirds are prone to colliding with windows.
Despite these issues, Broad-billed Hummingbird numbers remain relatively stable. They are classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List due to their widespread range and large estimated global population. Partners in Flight estimates there are 3.5 million breeding Broad-billed Hummingbirds across their habitat.
Various conservation measures can help protect Broad-billed Hummingbird populations:
- Preserving stands of native vegetation
- Letting natural areas regenerate after fires or floods
- Installing screens on windows to prevent collisions
- Providing artificial feeders, especially during migration
- Avoiding pesticide use
Efforts to maintain native plant communities that provide nectar, nesting sites, and insect prey are key for the future of the species. Planting clumps of hummingbird favorite plants can help attract and support local Broad-billed Hummingbirds.
Fun Facts
Beyond their unique anatomy and behaviors, here are a few other fun facts about the charismatic Broad-billed Hummingbird:
- They have specially structured feathers that produce a loud chirping or twittering when air rushes through them in flight.
- Their wings beat up to 70 times per second and they can fly forwards, backwards, up, down, and even upside down.
- Broad-billed Hummingbirds have excellent memories and can remember the locations of reliable food sources from year to year.
- If food is scarce, they may enter a hibernation-like, energy conserving state called torpor to lower their metabolism and heartrate.
- They build “sleep nests” and use them repeatedly as safe nocturnal roosting spots.
- Their tubular tongues act as elastic micropumps to lap up nectar.
- To attract females, males perform elaborate aerial courtship displays up to 100 feet in the air.
Conclusion
While small, the Broad-billed Hummingbird leads a fast-paced and sophisticated life. From its specialized physiology to its complex behaviors, this diminutive bird has many subtle facets beyond its bright colors. Providing the right habitat and stopping to appreciate their beauty whenever one visits a flower garden or feeder can help support and bring joy to Broad-billed Hummingbirds and other species. Their vibrancy and energetic nature make them a delight to observe in the wild or even just outside one’s window. With a range that spans the deserts and mountains of the American Southwest, the Broad-billed Hummingbird remains a distinctive and iconic part of the region’s ecology.
