Buff-bellied Hummingbird

Amazilia yucatanensis

eBird gives this description of the Buff-bellied Hummingbird:  Green hummingbird with red bill, orange tail, and buffy patch on belly. The namesake belly patch can be difficult to see; tail and bill color are better ways to separate it from other hummingbirds. Males and females similar. Common in Mexico; limited range in U.S. Found in a variety of wooded or shrubby habitats, usually around flowers. Visits hummingbird feeders.   All About Birds offers this brief bit of descriptive information about this bird:  The Buff-bellied Hummingbird breeds near the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, from south Texas to Mexico. It is probably the least-studied hummingbird that regularly occurs in the United States.

I saw my first Buff-bellied Hummingbird on the morning of January 6, 2021, at the Indigo Blind in  Estero Llano Grande State Park.  The bird made one brief visit to the feeder in the blind and I was lucky to get one photo.

You can clearly see the tell-tale red bill on this Buff-bellied Hummingbird at Estero Llano on January 6, 2021.


“Cool Facts” About the Buff-bellied Hummingbird From All About Birds…

  • The Buff-bellied Hummingbird evidently regularly disperses to the northeast from its breeding areas in south Texas. This northerly movement is unique among North American hummingbirds.
  • The oldest recorded Buff-bellied Hummingbird was a male, and at least 11 years, 2 months old when he was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Texas.