Buff-Bellied Hummingbird

Amazilia yucatanensis

The Buff-Bellied Hummingbird does not stray far from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, and from southern Texas south to the Yucatan Peninsula they are nonmigratory. In summer, some of these birds extend their range around the central and eastern shores of Texas and Louisiana.

To my eye, the red bill of this bird reminded me of the Broad-Billed Hummingbirds I’d seen in Arizona. But in Texas the Broad-Billed would be completely out of range, so I had to rule that bird out. After a little research I learned the only hummingbird expected in south Texas is the Buff-Bellied Hummingbird. There doesn’t seem to be much to distinguish the males from the females of this species, but the female’s upper bill is dark and observers describe her as less colorful.

This is a species I’d like to get better acquainted with, but that opportunity would mean another trip to Texas. I could live with that.