Rufous-Tailed Hummingbird

Amazilia tzacatl

Also known as: Rieffer's Hummingbird

About This Species

Common in gardens, forest edges and scrubby clearings from Central America into northern South America, where it feeds on nectar from flowering shrubs and readily visits feeders. Its rufous tail and belly flash are best seen in good light as it hovers or perches on an exposed twig between feeding bouts. It can be found year-round and is often one of the easiest hummingbirds to observe at flowering gardens or feeder stations.

Ethical Viewing Guidelines

A distance of a few metres is generally tolerated at feeders, since it is bold and habituated to people in many areas, but avoid handling or touching a feeding bird.
Wildlife protection law varies across its Central and South American range, so check local rules on capturing or disturbing native birds rather than assuming a single standard applies.
Keep feeders clean and away from windows to reduce collision risk, since these are common causes of harm at popular feeding sites.

LCAvesApodiformesTrochilidae

Seasonal Activity

812,528 sightings · 2000–2026

Citizen science records via GBIF

All monthsThis month

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae

Photo

CC-BY-NC-4.0

Occurrence data from GBIF.