The Allen Hummer 
alert, and finally had a fleeting glimpse of one. On May 24, as we were 
breaking camp, a male bird with shrill buzz of wings darted in front of me, 
and passed in the sunlight but a few feet away. Though gone again 
before I could make a move for a gun, the sight was sufficient to clinch 
the identification, to my own satisfaction at least, for the green back 
and top of head, and gleaming red throat, together with the manner of 
flight, formed an unmistakable combination of characters.” 
The Broad-tailed Hummer is essentially a mountain-loving species, 
breeding as the season advances to the very tops of the ranges. The 
nests themselves are placed at the lower levels (reckoning the ground as 
base level) and indifferently in bushes, maples, oaks, or evergreen trees. 
But because much of its range is arid, the vicinity of streams is closely 
adhered to. The nests are richly ornamented with lichens, if such are to 
be had; but if not, a covering of bark-shreds, dead leaves, or particles 
of wood will suffice. The female is a close sitter and will suffer the 
presence of the hand, being comparable in this respect with the Calypte 
Hummers rather than her own congeners. 
No. 182 
Allen’s Hummer 
A. 0 . U. No. 434 . Selasphorus alleni Henshaw. 
Synonym.— Green-backed Rufous Hummingbird. 
Description. — Adult male: Similar to adult male of 5 . rufus, but upperparts 
(except rump and tail) shining bronzy green (duller on crown), the color of back some¬ 
times broken up by outcropping of underlying rufous; underparts, including belly, 
cinnamon-rufous, changing to white on chest only; tail-feathers without notching or 
emargination, the two outer pairs smaller and very narrow, the outermost acicular. 
Adult female: Very similar to adult female of S', rufus, but with tail as in male 
alleni. Length of adult male 82.6 (3.25); wing 38.6 (1.52); tail 29.7 (1.17); bill 16 
(.63). Female a little larger. 
Recognition Marks. —Pygmy size; fiery gorget with green back of male unmis¬ 
takable; female indistinguishable out of hand from that of 5 . rufus; outermost tail- 
feathers less than .10 in. wide (mm 2.5). 
Nesting. — Nest: Exteriorly of fine green moss (invariably present), occasion¬ 
ally supplemented by dead leaves, flower-heads, etc., or even lichens, bound on with 
cobwebs, interiorly of white plant-down, or, rarely, of sycamore down; placed chiefly 
in vines or in sheltered situations against banks, more rarely in trees. Eggs: 2; 
white, as in all hummingbirds. Av. of 24 eggs from Santa Barbara (M. C. O. coll.): 
11.9 x 7.9 (.47 x .31). Av. of 16 eggs from Humboldt Co.: 12.2 x 7.9 (.48 x .31). Season: 
February-April; April-Jiine; two broods. 
General Range. —Breeds in the Pacific Coast district, narrowly, from northern 
Lower California to southern Oregon; winters in northern Lower California and Sonora; 
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