The Mountain Hummingbird

Listen and look for broad-taileds in their high-elevation homes.

- By Sally Roth

Hummingbirds aren’t usually known for the noises they make— unless it’s the sound of one zooming past you —but broad-tailed hummingbirds are loud visitors.

Females keep up a constant vocal twittering, and males add a loud trill from their specialized wing feathers while in flight. “Once you learn their sound, you won’t forget it!” says David Mehlman, who served as director of the Nature Conservancy’s Migratory Bird Program.