Broad-Tailed Hummingbird

Breeding males produce a distinctive metallic trilling sound with their wings in flight, a useful clue even before the bird is spotted around montane meadows, aspen groves and forest clearings in the Rocky Mountain region. It feeds on nectar from tubular flowers and defends favoured patches aggressively, making a well-flowered subalpine meadow in summer the most reliable place to watch one perch, feed and chase rivals. Spring through late summer, when high-elevation wildflowers are in bloom, is the best window to see it on its breeding grounds before it migrates south.