Broad-tailed hummingbirds are noisy visitors. Females tweet constantly, and males use their specialised wing feathers to trill loudly when flying.
It's hard to forget their sound!" Environmental and ecological consultant David Mehlman directed the Nature Conservancy's Migratory Bird Programme.
You may hear these common and plentiful hummingbirds before seeing them if you live in the West Mountains or visit in summer.
Birdwatchers Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman agree. Rocky Mountain male broad-tailed hummingbirds have a remarkable sound.
Alpine meadow wildflowers attract broad-tailed hummingbirds to the Rockies, Sierras, Guadalupes, and other ranges from Texas to Montana with their nectar.
Small cup-shaped nests are built in evergreens or dense thickets to shelter them from high elevation cold. White females lay two tiny eggs.
Instead of one feeder, hang many because territorial birds flock. Males watch for other males from high perches near feeders.
Broad-taileds visit lower elevations and cities during migration to and from Mexico. David lives a mile above sea level in New Mexico, but broad-taileds only visit while passing.
Penstemon, red hot poker, trumpet honeysuckle, salvia, and bee balm attract broad-tailed hummingbirds in mountain or migratory areas.