The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is perhaps the most common species of hummingbird at the forest edge and in gardens and cultivated areas from southern Mexico to northwestern South America. It has a distinctly rufous coloured tail, from which its named is derived, and a bright pink bill with a black tip. Like other hummingbirds, it feeds on nectar and small insects, and it can be highly territorial over feeding areas. The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird feeds on nectar of Heliconia, banana and coffee flowers, among others. Like most hummingbirds, they supplement their low-protein diet with small insects. They also visit human-made feeders with a mixture of water and sugar. The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is extremely aggressive and territorial. It dives at other hummingbirds or large insects (such as butterflies) that invade their feeding area. Like many other hummingbirds, its metabolic rate is so high that it goes into a torpor state at night to conserve energy. The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is polygynous. Males will often become territorial over an area of flowers, presumably not only for their nectar but for courting females.
Photographer: Dave Saunders