Calliope vs. Broad-tailed Hummingbird (1 Viewer)

[Nickk]

I think the wingtips extend beyond tail but can't tell for sure. Photo taken at Grand Teton NP, Wyoming US

 

[tom baxter]

I am not 100% sure but I think that those buffy flanks usually are a good indicator of Broad-tailed. It does not jump out as a Calliope to me, but I could be wrong.

Edit: I shouldn’t have made my original comment. I can’t offer a good suggestion for ID here. Without seeing the wing length or seeing the bird in the field for a size assessment, it’s a very hard ID. I will have to take a closer look to make a better guess later.

 

[Nickk]

I am not 100% sure but I think that those buffy flanks usually are a good indicator of Broad-tailed. It does not jump out as a Calliope to me, but I could be wrong.

Edit: I shouldn’t have made my original comment. I can’t offer a good suggestion for ID here. Without seeing the wing length or seeing the bird in the field for a size assessment, it’s a very hard ID. I will have to take a closer look to make a better guess later.

Hi Tom - the hummer did not seem that small to me but Calliope's would be a lifer and there were no other hummingbirds around for size comparison... Looking at the pics I thought the left wingtips are way below the tip of the tail but then again they could be tail feathers?

 

[Tiraya]

Calliope can have buffy flanks too, although it's often fainter than the other species. Both Calliope and broad-tailed have the "clean spotted" throat, and a fairly equivalent bill length. This is a tough view, I never thought I'd confuse these two species. The tail pattern could solve it if we could see the other side...

 

[Tucson Birder]

Fall Befuddlers: Broad-tailed, Rufous/Allen’s, and Calliope – Sheri L. Williamson
This may be helpful- from Sheri Williamson who authored Hummingbirds of North America (Peterson Field Guides)>

I struggle with these two species as well at times. The tail length (which I'm not able to see well in your photos) can be useful. According to Sheri, Broad-tailed has a very long tail and Calliope has a short, spatulate tail. She also mentions that the undertail coverts of female Calliope should be washed with pale cinnamon while Broad-tailed should be washed with white.

I have a lot of photos where I scratch my head, even with pointers like the ones I mentioned.

 

[Tiraya]

From any other angle you can usually tell on the proportions. It's just that you can't see if this is a "long" or "short" bird and the fact it's perched in a puffed up rested way means the angle is even more difficult to use here.