I continued to visit the nest after first discovering it. This is only the second hummingbird nest I’ve ever seen and the first I discovered myself. The two nestlings appeared to be almost fully grown and ready to fledge. I noticed it while following a nuthatch foraging on the same limb as the nest. The nest was 2 inches across and about 6 feet above the ground. I located the nest by accident while observing adult hummingbirds and nuthatches along a trail at the Oak Flats recreation area in the Cibola National forest. A 10-year study of Broad-tailed hummingbird population dynamics found that as many as 70% of females may reuse the same nest from year to year.īroad-tailed hummingbirds. Nests are camouflaged with lichen, moss, and other plant materials to resemble the bark of the limb they reside on. The cup-shaped nests are constructed by the female working alone on a horizontal branch usually below 20 feet high and sheltered under overhanging vegetation. Aggressive males defend their territory by chasing away interlopers. The white-tipped tails extend beyond the ends of the wing tips.īroad-tailed hummingbirds occur in open evergreen forests with a grassy understory below 10,000 feet, as well as juniper and oak woodlands, breeding in young oaks or other shrubby habitats.
Females also have rusty coloration on the belly and flanks. The backs of both sexes are an iridescent green. Females have a white throat with dark green spots on the throat and cheeks. Male broad-tails have red throat feathers and dark patches on the sides of the otherwise white belly.
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