{"id":58754,"date":"2019-06-23T04:19:10","date_gmt":"2019-06-23T10:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=58754"},"modified":"2025-06-13T15:25:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T20:25:24","slug":"male-broad-tailed-hummingbird-landing-and-lifting-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/06\/23\/male-broad-tailed-hummingbird-landing-and-lifting-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird Landing And Lifting Off"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LandingLanding male Broad-tailed Hummingbird – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

On May 24th, 2019 I wrote about how finding a favorite Broad-tailed Hummingbird perch was like striking gold and the reasons why. They were:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The hummingbirds can usually be found there reliably,<\/li>\n
  2. When they have a favorite perch the best light angle and time of day to photograph them can easily be calculated,<\/li>\n
  3. The opportunity for photographing them landing, taking off, snoozing or preening increases,<\/li>\n
  4. There is also an increased chance of photographing a territorial dispute between two hummingbirds because they will defend their favorite perch.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    After finding a new Broad-tailed Hummingbird favorite perch this year where I can pull over and not have to worry about traffic so much I have had a blast photographing the little male resting, preening, landing, lifting off and keeping an eye on his territory.<\/p>\n

    I’ve gotten several photos of him landing but I believe this one is my favorite because his tiny little feet haven’t touched his perch yet. The only thing that might have made it better for me is if his gorget had been lit up to show the incredible pinkish red iridescence.<\/p>\n

    \"MaleMale Broad-tailed Hummingbird lifting off – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

    Being able to easily pre-focus on the perch has even allowed me to take lift off photos and that is a challenge because these little birds take off so fast that they can be gone in the time it takes to shoot one frame.<\/p>\n

    The favorite perch is only one part of the equation for taking images of these hummingbirds though it also helps to become familiar with their behaviors and the clues they exhibit when they are getting ready to lift off or being able to hear them flying in to their favorite perch.<\/p>\n

    The last time I was up near this perch I didn’t see the little male come in and land on it but not far from it I spotted a male Broad-tailed perched on a chokecherry branch, maybe the little guy has two favorite perches!<\/p>\n

    Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

    Mia<\/p>\n

    Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Broad-tailed Hummingbird photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    After finding a new Broad-tailed Hummingbird favorite perch this year where I can pull over and not have to worry about traffic so much I have had a blast photographing the little male resting, preening, landing, lifting off and keeping an eye on his territory.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":148457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,2340,4594,26,773],"tags":[4004,2651,6561,6043,2652,4123,4944,4062,2341],"class_list":["post-58754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-broad-tailed-hummingbirds","category-morgan-county","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-broad-tailed-hummingbird","tag-favorite-perch","tag-hummingbird","tag-hummingbirds-2","tag-landing","tag-lifting-off","tag-male","tag-selasphorus-platycercus"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-landing-mia-mcpherson-0359.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-fhE","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":58113,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/05\/24\/male-broad-tailed-hummingbirds-on-their-favorite-perches\/","url_meta":{"origin":58754,"position":0},"title":"Male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds On Their Favorite Perches","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds show a preference in the perches that they use to rest, to keep an eye on their territories and once they select a favorite perch it can be like striking gold for a bird photographer.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird watching a rival from his favorite perch, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-favorite-perch-mia-mcpherson-5976.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-favorite-perch-mia-mcpherson-5976.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-favorite-perch-mia-mcpherson-5976.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-favorite-perch-mia-mcpherson-5976.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I had more fun photographing Broad-tailed Hummingbirds in the Wasatch Mountains yesterday morning, probably more fun than should be legal.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird showing his colorful gorget, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-landing-mia-mcpherson-7590.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-landing-mia-mcpherson-7590.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Defending His Chokecherry Perch","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"It was interesting to watch and photograph this little Broad-tailed Hummingbird defend his favorite perch from the intruders I barely saw but could hear as they flew in and he flew out to chase them away.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Broad-tailed Hummingbird male on a Chokecherry tree branch, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-6924.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-chokecherry-mia-mcpherson-6924.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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