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Broad-billed Hummingbird
Scientific name: Cyanthus latirostris
Length: 3 1/4 - 4 inches (8 - 10 cm)
Identification: This is a medium sized, stocky hummingbird. A blue-black notched
tail identifies the male, while a square tail with white outer tips sets apart the
female. Dark green above and below, the male has an iridescent blue gorget (throat),
a basically red-orange bill with blackish tip, and white undertail coverts. Duller
green above and grey below, the female has a red-orange bill and a white eye stripe.
Habitat and range: The broad-billed hummingbird is found in Mexico, southern
Arizona, and western Texas, typically in desert canyons and mesquite thickets of
arid lowlands.
FYI: Apparent differences in the color and appearance of the hummingbird are
due to the iridescent parts of the feathers, where a change in the angle of viewing
in relationship to the sun will make the hummingbird seemingly change colors. Found
from the southern end of Alaska to the southern tip of South America, the hummingbird
is found only in the western hemisphere. They are most commonly found in South America.
Source: "Hummingbird," The International Wildlife Encyclopedia, 1969,
Vol. 9, p. 1136. Since our perception of hummingbirds is a flurry of motion and
movement, it is somewhat unusual to find that the broad-billed hummingbird may often
sit on a high perch for long periods. Source: National Wildlife Federation
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