Captured perched in a tree branch at Tuscon AZ Desert Musuem Aviary. This little guy was rather elusive and difficult to capture. I was so mesmerized by his sparkly, almost glowing body, it was hard to stay focused on my mission to get a good shot. What an incredible sight!

Identification of Broad-billed Hummingbirds would hardly seem to be a problem. Adult males are so wildly colorful that the only real problem is singling out a field mark. One of the better features to key in on is the reddish bill, a character shared by few other hummers in the U.S. The dark forked tail separated from the dark belly by white undertail coverts creates a pattern that is another excellent point of separation from most other U.S. hummers. The final clue becomes obvious when the sunlight hits: the sparkling blue gorget glows against the rich dark green of the upperparts and belly.