Trochilus platycercus, Sw. Philos. Mag. I, 1827, 441 (Mexico). Selasphorus platycercus, Gould, Mon. Trochilid. or Humming-Birds, III, May, 1852.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 135, pl. xliii, figs. 1 and 2.—Cooper, Pr. Cal. Ac. 1868 (Lake Tahoe).—Ib. Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 357. Ornismia tricolor, Lesson, Colibris, 125 (no date) pl. xiv (Brazil).—Ib. Trochilide. 1831, 156, pl. lx (Mexico).—Jardine, Nat. Lib. II, 77, pl. xiii. Ornismya montana, Lesson, Trochilid. 1831, 161, pl. lxiii, adult, and 163; pl. lxiv, young (Mexico).
Selasphorus platycercus.
10847 ♂ 10750 ♀
Sp. Char. Outer primaries greatly attenuated at the end and turned outward. Outer tail-feathers nearly linear, but widening a little from the base; its width .20 of an inch. Tail slightly graduated and emarginate. Male above and on the sides metallic green; chin and throat light reddish-purple, behind which, and along the belly to the tail, is a good deal of white. Wings and tail dusky purplish; the tail-feathers, excepting the internal and external ones, edged towards the base with light cinnamon. Female without the metallic gorget; the throat-feathers with dusky centres. The tail somewhat cuneate, as in the male, the feathers less pointed; the outer three cinnamon-rufous at base (this extending somewhat along the outer edges), then black, and broadly tipped with white (much as in the male Atthis heloisa), the inner two feathers green, the fourth with black spot at end, and only edged at base with rufous. The sides and crissum also tinged with cinnamon. Length, 3.50; wing, 1.92; tail, 1.40. Bill, gape, .80.
Hab. Table-lands of Mexico and Rocky Mountains, and Middle Province of United States, north to Wyoming Territory. Uintah, Wahsatch, and East Humboldt Mountains (Ridgway); Sierra Nevada (Cooper); Cordova (Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, 288); Guatemala (Scl. Ibis, I, 129); Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 1866, 57).
A decided character of this species among its North American relatives is the rufous outer border of the exterior tail-feathers. This rufous in S. rufus pervades most of the feathers, instead of being restricted as above. Females of the two species are not dissimilar: those of S. platycercus are larger, less rufous beneath; the tail-feathers broader and less pointed, and with the inner two (on each side) entirely green to base (the fourth edged with rufous), instead of being principally rufous, except at tip.
Specimens from Mirador, Mexico, are undistinguishable from those of Fort Bridger; those from Guatemala are smaller than the Mexican.
Habits. Until recently this Humming-Bird has been presumed to be an exclusively Mexican and Central American species. Until taken within our limits, it had been supposed to be confined on the north to the Mexican plateau,
westward to the city, and thence southward to Guatemala, while throughout this region it is said to be very generally and very plentifully distributed. It was first taken, in 1851, by Mr. J. H. Clark, near El Paso, Texas. Subsequently numerous specimens were seen by Dr. Coues on the summit of Whipple’s Pass of the Rocky Mountains, in July, feeding among clumps of wild roses. It was not noticed near Fort Whipple, though the range of this species is now well known to include New Mexico and Arizona, as far north, at least, as Fort Bridger in Wyoming. It was found breeding abundantly in the vicinity of Fort Grant, Arizona, by Dr. Palmer.
This Humming-Bird was found by Mr. Allen more or less common among the foot-hills, as well as among the mountains, of Colorado, and extending several miles out on the plains. On Mount Lincoln, in Colorado, he found it exceedingly numerous, and though larger and otherwise different from the eastern Ruby-throat, it might easily be mistaken for it. The shrill whistling of its wings, he adds, is a peculiarity one is sure to notice. This Humming-Bird continued to be common on the sides of Mount Lincoln to far above the timber line, being apparently as much at home among the bright flowers growing on the highest parts of the mountain as in the valleys.