[Birdtalk] Hummingbirds - Rufous

[birderb at aol.com]

 Matthew:

The best field mark for the Rufous Hummingbird is the Rufous on its back.? It is the only hummer with a rufous back in North America.? Males have green markings on the rufous back with a very red gorget.? The Allen's has a green back.? Its gorget is a copper red.? Distribution maps can be helpful to determine a birds identification, as you mentioned.? However, as the current Painted Bunting shows, we fortunately do get vagrants from time to time.

Regards,


 


Bill Fenimore
Wild Bird Center
Utah Audubon Policy Advocate
1860 North 1000 West
Layton,  UT  84041-1858
801-525-8400 Store
801-525-8415 Fax
801-699-9330 Cellular
www.wildbird.com/layton
































































 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: M. H. Wallace <Pooder at xmission.com>
To: BirdTalk <birdtalk at utahbirds.org>
Sent: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 8:58 pm
Subject: [Birdtalk] Hummingbirds -  Rufous













This evening, as the
thunderstorm abated and the rainbows came out, I have had a few Rufous
Hummingbirds at my feeders.? I can't get good enough photos to
determine if their tails are notched, so I can't say they are not
Allen's, although Sibley shows their range as not extending into
northern Utah/Salt Lake County, whereas Rufous' range does certainly
extend to our region.? With the brilliant orange colors, not just on
the tails but over considerable portions of the tail, body and chin,
there is no mistake that these are Rufous, or slightly possibly
Allen's, Hummingbirds.? (If you want to post your thoughts on the
possibility of Allen's, I'd welcome that...I'll leave that to those of
you who know more than I.? I may be avid, but I'm no expert...)? Of
course, the Rufous' and the Black-chinned Hummers were competing for
space, chasing each other off.



I was on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, near Mack's Inn, Idaho on
Saturday, July 28.? My family was paddling down river in canoes, when a
furious hail storm hit.? A very nice couple beckoned us to the shelter
of their porch.? Alas, they had hummingbird feeders up.? While we were
waiting out the storm, under their porch, I saw several Rufous
Hummingbirds at there feeders too.? This couple told me that they have
so many Hummers that they fill their two quart-sized feeders daily.



So, there are Rufous Hummingbirds in Salt Lake County and southwest of
West Yellowstone this Summer.



Matthew Wallace

East Millcreek, Salt Lake County



 





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