Family: Trochilidae, Hummingbirds view all from this family

Description 3 1/4-4" (8-10 cm). Male dark green above and below, with bright metallic-blue gorget (throat patch). Bright red-orange bill with black tip. Female's unmarked gray throat and underparts and red-orange bill distinguish her from other female hummers of same size.

Habitat Desert canyons; mesquite and other thickets in arid country.

Nesting 2 white eggs in a rough, loosely woven cup nest on a vertical branch of a streamside tree.

Range Breeds in southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and western Texas. Winters south of U.S.-Mexico border.

Voice   A rapid, scratching chi-dit, like the note of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Discussion The Broad-billed Hummingbird is said to be quieter and less active than most hummers, often sitting on a high perch for long periods. However, its flight is more irregular and jerky than that of others in the same habitat.