What The Heck? Need Help With 2 Hummers, The Bird Type!

I would say that it is a rufous. We get them here once in a blue-moon, they do stand out and excite you don't they!

Definitely looks like a Rufous, Rich! Allen's are very similar to Rufous, but sometimes have more green in their backs. I've heard that some of the Rufous are making their way to the east! Looks like you got one of them!! :-)

I don't know...but what a lovely shot!

Thanks guys,

My 3 bird books don't really help with this guy and I'm assuming it's a young Rufuos.

Phyllis, my bird book says they are mostly Western birds, but you have seen them?

Lynn, Is this a youngin" then? None of the photos in the bird book really look like this guy. I tried here too,on FAA,

Andrea, Thanks! But compared to the "real" birders,sadly lacking!!! LOL! I may try tomorrow and sit outside and shoot again, but not through the screen,

Rich

I thought maybe a female Ruby Throat.

Rich, I have seen just a few in the last 3 or 4 years. Before that, just ruby throats.

This is a ruby throated. Either female or juvenile.

It's probably either a juvenile, or a female. It's hard to tell, especially without a close-up view. But then, I'm no expert...I just see a lot of different hummers here in So Cal & I'm trying to learn better how to tell them apart!

Sure looks like a Rufous to me! That's mainly what we get here on the west coast. However, speaking of hummingbirds being where they shouldn't be, the past two years there has been a Costa's hummer coming to the coast. To the exact same feeder as a matter of fact. I understand they're usually found in the California and Nevada desert.

that,s a male rufous, sometimes spelled rufus in some languages.
More and more are forming triangular migration route, west in summer, south mexico and below in winer an now adding southeast us in very early spring.

Not common in SE US, but a small growing population doing this.

We have ruby throated ones hear. That one looks different. Very pretty bird.

Greg, and others,thanks!

A new bird to me and that's why I took the time to photograph it,

might try some more in the next few days and will post, if I get a decent shot. The rufuos has been chased away by the Ruby, so not here as much now,

Rich

Here's a better shot, but still not great. I need to be on the other side,with the sun to my back,maybe tomorrow.



Thought this back shot might help identify the hummer,

Rich

By the way, did we ever decide what hawk this is? Cooper's Sharpshined?



Rich

Although I've never seen one (or recognized one here) I can say the female is a rufous and therefore the male shot must be a rufous. But I've also seen the sun cast red light through the feeder and turn female black-chins a reddish look. But I think the color is right here.

Rich, where did you take the photo of the hawk? That might narrow it down.

Here are a couple of my Cooper's hawks for comparison. The first 2 I am confident are Cooper's. The third is a guess but now that I'm looking at it again, I wonder if it's a Merlin.

Kathleen,

Right here! .....LOL! In Central Florida. I've seen the larger ones, like the red shouldered here,all the time and watched one get a pigeon a few years ago and had a hard time getting off the ground and over my fence. The hawk and most of the pigeon cleared the fence, but the hanging head of the pigeon did not! OUCH! Insult to injury!

Rich

Rich and Kathleen,

Here's a blog I saw a few days ago about differentiating the two (Sharp-shinned and Coopers). Lots of subtleties at play--age, gender, time of year, etc. Of course all those factors apply to just about all birds, but these two are tough to distinguish. Good luck with the ID. :-)

http://blog.leica-birding.com/advanced-id-tip-sharp-shinned-or-coopers/

Loree,

Good info, but doesn't help me! I tried uploading the image to that site ans it failed twice,even a small file,1.2mb.

Rich

Look at the tail (more squared) and shoulders (hips are small) - sharp shinned

I dug out my Wheeler book and I'm going with Sharp-shinned based on the very narrow white band or edging at the tip of your bird's tail and the fact the ends of the tail feathers are more straight and blunted rather than slightly rounded like the Cooper's. I think I've also decided that my third hawk photo is indeed a Cooper's. An adult female.

"Loree,

Good info, but doesn't help me! I tried uploading the image to that site ans it failed twice,even a small file,1.2mb.

Rich"

Well, all the information on that site should help you to make an educated guess, even if you can't upload your photo. :-)

Loree,

I don't make no edgamakaided guess! I'm going with the experts here and it's a Sharp-shinned, until proven guilty! LOL!

Thanks everyone!

RIch

bump

Hi Rich,
It's look like adult male Allen's Hummingbird.

your bottom Ruby might be a juvenile male but its hard to tell, it could be but the colors look a little off to me.....

@Kathleen - this is a Merlin, they are not like Sharpies or Coopers Hawks and are smaller

Thank you, Debbie! Your photo shows just how very different the feather pattern on a merlin. I saw my favorite Cooper's yesterday evening and got some photos but haven't had time to process them. Their eye color is very distinctive.

Here is a close up of a Merlin's backside.


And a frontal close up of a wet one :)

Here's 2 new images from today.

One is the Ruby and the other is a black chinned hummer, from what I have read. They are from the West Coast and Mexico, but some winter here in the Southeast. Seems the black chinned one is slightly smaller than the Ruby,





The ruby was trying all day, to chase the black chinned guy!

Rich

Hi Rich, According to my Bird book you only find Rufous along the west coast to Texas. The Ruby throated is along the east coast from Canada to Fla. If your from Fla. Rich, my guess is a Bahama Woodstar. I may be wrong, Bahama has a white chin. It looks more like White Eared, but these are from AZ.

It's about a month early for ruby throats in florida. That's possible, but some species are beginning to have a three point migration, winter in central america, early spring on the gulf, and then on to the normal breeding range in the west. These photos don't have a fanned tail to assist in the ID, but I'm wondering if these might be broadtail hummers. Ruby's gorget is pure absolute red, with orange tinge at some angles. Broadtail is more of a magenta. The color balance might be off in your photos, so they don't seem to look like either one, but must be one or the other. I'm not sure if the broadtail is a species with a triangular migration. I was mainly aware of black chin and rufous involved in this new variation.
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/broad-tailed-hummingbird
http://www.hummingbirds.net/2001maps.html

Looking at the published maps, I would say that an early ruby-throat is the answer.

Randy,Gregory,

Color is right on, very golden throat! And the other is accurate too, so not sure what I've got,

Rich

Color is beautiful and fun to watch. Hard to say, they may come from anywhere. Gregory is probably right, a young Ruby-throat.

I believe it's a juvie ruby throat.
If you play some of their vocalizations and it buzzes you, that's the species. :)

In any search for hummers, lot's of images of hummers with this golden throat colorization. But is the other one a black chinned? Visiting from out West/Mexico?

Rich

According to my bird book, black chinned on the map only shows the West Coast to Texas and possibly in Mexico.

Randy,

In my book, they say that "some" winter in the Southeast! And I think I know where! LOL!

Rich

Rich...Here's a male black-chinned. Not sure what the females look like! I probably have them here & don't even know it!! (Southern CA)

Those Hummers are a funny breed, they can come from nowhere and fun to watch, Rich. Glad you solve the puzzle.

Lynn,

Great shot! Mine might be a female, or a juvie male. Seems a LOT of variations in these tiny guys!

Randy,

Not SURE I've solved anything! LOL!!!

Rich

Yes nice shot Lynn and pretty colors of the hummer. Sorry if you didn't solve anything yet Rich. lol.