Broad-tailed Hummingbird Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesBroad-tailed Hummingbird
Adult male
Big-headed for a hummingbird. Adult males have a rose-magenta throat, a white breast, and green and buffy flanks.
© Tristan Herwood / Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, May 16, 2019Female/immature male
Females/immatures are metallic green above with buffy flanks. They have green spots on their throats and cheeks and a pale eyering.
© Reed Gorner / Macaulay LibraryColorado, July 25, 2019Adult male
Adult males have a rose-magenta throat, a white breast, and green and buffy flanks. The tail feathers are broader than other hummingbirds, but tail details can be hard to see.
© Ted Floyd / Macaulay LibraryColorado, July 21, 2017Immature male
Slender-bodied and big-headed for a hummingbird. Immature males have a few magenta feathers coming in on the throat.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryArizona, July 23, 2005Adult male and immature male
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryArizona, May 01, 2006Adult male
On perched birds, the tail extends beyond the wingtips.
© Gregg Friesen / Macaulay LibraryColorado, July 29, 2017Female/immature male
In flight, broad and rounded tail feathers are distinctive. Note rusty color at the base of the tail feathers and white tips on the outer tail feathers.
© Bill Maynard / Macaulay LibraryColorado, August 28, 2016Adult male
Breeds in meadows and open woodlands, especially pinyon-juniper, pine-oak, evergreen, and montane scrub and thickets.
© James McCall / Macaulay LibraryColorado, May 25, 2017Similar SpeciesRufous Hummingbird
Female
Female Rufous Hummingbirds are slightly smaller with a shorter tail than female Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. Their tail barely extends beyond the wings, whereas it extends well beyond on Broad-tailed. Females also lack the female Broad-tailed's grayer cheeks and white eyering.
© Ian Routley / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, September 16, 2016Similar SpeciesAllen's Hummingbird
Female/immature
Female Allen's Hummingbirds are slightly smaller with a shorter tail than female Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. Their tail barely extends beyond the wings, whereas it extends well beyond on Broad-tailed. Females lack the female Broad-tailed's white eyering.
© Margaret Viens / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, August 23, 2016Similar SpeciesAnna's Hummingbird
Adult male
Adult male Anna's Hummingbirds have a rosy-red crown, whereas adult male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds have a green crown.
© Kyle Blaney / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 02, 2013Similar SpeciesAnna's Hummingbird
Female/immature male
Female and immature Anna's Hummingbirds have a white arc over the eye that extends down the side of the face, instead of the pale eyering on female Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.
© Ryan O'Donnell / Macaulay LibraryWashington, December 31, 2016Similar SpeciesRuby-throated Hummingbird
Adult male
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds don't overlap with Broad-tailed Hummingbirds on the breeding grounds. Male Ruby-throats have a dark eye patch, whereas male Broad-tailed have a thin white line separating their eye from their throat.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, May 21, 2015Similar SpeciesRuby-throated Hummingbird
Female
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have dusky cheek patches, whereas female Broad-tailed Hummingbirds have spotted cheeks and throat. Note that their breeding ranges do not overlap.
© Cathy Pondelicek / Macaulay LibraryIllinois, September 28, 2015Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Hummingbirds(Order: Caprimulgiformes, Family: Trochilidae)
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