The Broad-tailed Hummingbird is a medium-sized, rose-throated species that nests in Arizona’s high-elevation meadows and forest edges, typically between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. Arriving in late April or early May, males announce their presence with a loud “churr” and an acrobatic dive display, flashing green upperparts and a rose-pink gorget; females build tiny cup nests lined with plant down and spider webs, often concealed on horizontal branches of conifers or shrubs. They forage on a variety of montane wildflowers—such as columbine and penstemon—and readily visit backyard feeders, departing by late July or August to spend winters in Mexico’s pine-oak woodlands.
