BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD 387 



Nevertheless, the hardiness of Anna's hummingbird is greater than 

 might be expected of so small a bird, belonging to a family predomi- 

 nantly tropical. In January 1937, during the most prolonged period 

 of freezing weather in the history of southern California, when the 

 temperature repeatedly fell to 24° F. at my home in the San Gabriel 

 Valley, when ice remained on pools and birdbaths throughout the 

 days and the sky was dark with soot from orchard heaters, half a 

 dozen or more hummingbirds buzzed and twittered about a tall 

 blooming eucalyptus tree and seemed not in the least distressed. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Chiefly California and Baja California; east casually in 

 winter to Arizona and the mainland of Mexico ; apparently not reg- 

 ularly migratory. 



The breeding range extends north to northern California (Yreka 

 and Mount Shasta. East in this State to Mount Shasta, Pyramid 

 Peak, Big Creek, and the San Bernardino Mountains ; and Baja Cali- 

 fornia (San Pedro Martir Mountains). South to northern Baja 

 California (San Pedro Martir Mountains, San Quintin, and San 

 Telmo). The western boundary of the breeding range extends north 

 from this point along the coast of Baja California and California to 

 Red Bluff and Yreka. 



During the winter season there is only a slight withdrawal from the 

 northern parts of the summer range, as the species has been recorded 

 at this time north in California to Ferndale and Red Bluff. The most 

 southerly record at this season is Cerros Island, Baja California, about 

 200 miles south of known breeding areas. During the winter the 

 species also is sometimes common in the southern part of Arizona 

 (Roosevelt Lake and probably Salt River Reservation). 



Casual records. — This species has been reported from the following 

 other localities in Arizona : Camp Grant (September), Santa Catalina 

 Mountains (October), and the Huachuca Mountains (October). A 

 specimen was taken on February 21, 1934, at Punta Penascosa, Sonora. 



Egg dates. — California : 86 records, December 21 to August 17 ; 43 

 records, February 22 to May 18, indicating the height of the season. 



SELASPHORUS PLATYCERCUS PLATYCERCUS (Swainson) 



BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD 



Plates 63, 64 



HABITS 



The broad-tailed hummingbird is the hummingbird of the Rocky 

 ^Mountain region, ranging from southern Idaho, Montana, and Wyo- 

 ming to the Valley of Mexico, and it is essentially a mountain bird. 



