Beauties of the Southwest

Learn how and where to find North America’s showiest hummingbird

- CHRISTINE PETERSON

Not to be outdone by its relatives, the broadbilled hummingbird is one of the most stunning in its family. The males sport vibrant emerald bodies, iridescent sapphire throats and bright red bills tipped with black, and the females deserve equal admiration with their sleek gray bodies and a distinct white line next to each eye.

"This is the wow hummingbird of North America," says Dan Weisz, an expert naturalist, photographer and volunteer presenter at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.

And they're not all that hard to see most of the year as they flit from backyard feeders to their favorite native flowers.

Going the Distance