I can not get a good shot of this guy! It won't stay still long enough to take a good pic. These guys don't hang on the feeders and trying to focus and catch them is impossible. Does anyone know what kind it is?
This message was edited Jul 17, 2004 10:33 PM
Is it a female ruby-throated hummingbird? http://www.irritatedvowel.com/Birds/Hummingbirds.aspx
Not bad, GW, but we have no ruby-throats in CA... however, my Peterson Field Guide (to Western Birds) says the female black-chinned hummingbird closely resembles female ruby-throat. This site says the three hummers apt to "attract" in Sacramento area are black-chinned, rufous, and CA's most common Anna's hummingbird. (page down to birding list)
http://www.sacramentogardening.com/Bkyrd_Birding.html
Rufous and Anna's females are both shown with small speckles in little 'lines' running from base of bill across chin below eye... and Anna's commonly even a (smaller than male's) red patch on throat.
Now, I have Anna's and have never noticed any speckles or red patch on the female; for that matter the male must face you in good sunlight to really see his scarlet neck feathers and have never noticed the red forehead noted for the male (diagnostic of Anna's males) (but not diagnostic if you DON'T see it!).
The female rufous also has hardly any white behind her eye, so I think we can let her out of the consideration. If you have another picture and it shows the chin of the female hummer above, and it (the chin/throat) is plain white with no speckles or red, that would point toward the black-chinned. Anna's hummingbirds are average 1/4" larger than black-chinned... but the ranges of sizes overlap.
If you can get a good look at a male (in nice bright sunlight), Anna's should flash you some red or fuschia pink from chin and theoretically from forehead or 'crown' -- while black-chinned has a band of blue-violet below the black chin and green on top of head.
Peterson does note that "Some females and particularly young birds are not safely distinguishable in the field even for experts." Which reminds that your bird could also be a juvenile... of one of the species that occur in your area.
~'spin!~
P.S. of course, all of above assumes the pic was taken in your own 'neck-of-the-woods'... if not, bets are off!
This is in Citrus Heights (Sac). Ca. Same yard 12ft apart. Different day. Hey! You always know!
What's fun is, rufous hummers are in Ohio now, and they didn't used to be. We've yet to see one here, but I know they've been spotted around our area.
I haave had more hummers this summer than ever before. They were really busy at my feeders ( 6 or 7) and the flowers. then a quiet month or so while they were taking care of the babies and feeding them aphids, etc. Now very busy again, immature guys are thick and hard to identify. In this area we have Roufus, black Chinned, and the tiny Caliope. I am feeding at least two quarts of nectar every day. That's about the only reason I buy sugar. Of course the Orioles drink a lot of nectar too. Donna
