FAMILY Trochilidce 



families of birds in the world. Nearly six 

 hundred species are known, all peculiar to 

 the western hemisphere. Their center of 

 distribution lies in Ecuador and Colombia in 

 South America where they are found from the 

 lowest jungle to the crests of the high Andes. 

 Of the total number only about eighteen 

 species visit the United States, most of whom 

 only come over the border from Mexico into 

 Arizona, New Mexico and southern Califor- 

 nia. Only one, the ruby-throat, is found east 

 of the Mississippi River. The rufous hum- 

 ming-bird is found in the summer from south- 

 ern Mexico to southern Alaska while the 

 black-chinned. Calliope and the broad-tail- 

 ed hummingbirds are found more or less com- 

 monly from British Columbia to Mexico, and 

 the Anna, Allen and Costa hummingbirds 

 are confined to the Southwest. 



The rufous hummingbird is the most widely 

 distributed and the most abundant of all the 

 hummingbirds of the West. It comes North 

 early in the spring, reaching the northern 

 border of the United States by the first week 

 in March. It seems to time its arrival with 

 the blooming of the wild currant. The males 

 are the first to arrive and they may be found 

 along the crests of the hills, sometimes dozens 

 together, sitting in the bushes preening their 

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