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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing broad billed hummingbirds. These hummingbirds get their common name for their long bill. This beak is mostly red in males while female broad billed hummingbirds have black beaks. As with many birds, the males are more brightly colored than the females. The males have a brilliant green back and bright blue throat, although they can look dark in poor lighting. Female broad billed hummingbirds are green across their back but the chest is gray. An identifying feature the ladies have is a white spot behind each eye. While it can help distinguish them from some species, it also makes it easy to confuse them with similarly patterned hummingbirds! Female broad billed hummingbirds are slightly smaller than the males, but overall these birds average three and a half to four inches (9-10 cm) in length.

Broad billed hummingbirds range throughout Mexico and are also seen in the southern United States, especially during their breeding season. Those that breed further north migrate south to warmer areas during the winter, however, those living throughout the rest of the range are residents and remain in the same area year-round. These little birds live along the banks of rivers in forests and inside canyons, and they especially love partially shaded places with plenty of flowers from which to eat!

Broad billed hummingbirds eat nectar from flowers such as honeysuckles and they also visit feeders. Aside from nectar, these high energy animals eat insects such as aphids which they glean from vegetation surfaces or even pluck from spider webs! In a single day they can eat more than their entire body weight. That's technically only a little more than a tenth of an ounce (3 g), but in order to supply their body with enough energy and keep those wings humming, they have to maintain this high consumption diet! 

The oldest recorded broad billed hummingbird was just over the age of nine. They mate in the spring when flowers are at their peak, and it's not uncommon for females to produce two nests per year. The male courts the female with a dance that is often described as the back and forth motion of a pendulum, moving like a hypnotist's swaying clock. The female builds a small nest a few feet above ground (1-2 m) and lays two eggs inside which she alone incubates for just over two weeks. The male perches above the nest and chases away any intruders.

Adult broad billed hummingbirds mob predators, such as diurnal owls, potentially to show their young what the predators look like, to alert other birds in the area of their presence, and to drive the predator away. The biggest threat these hummingbirds face, however, is habitat destruction. As riparian habitats are deforested, the amount of available space diminishes and the water quality depletes. Broad billed hummingbirds need this vital habitat if they are to continue to thrive.

If you manage to catch their call in the wild, it sounds something like a "chit" sound, take a listen.

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