Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird, Selasphorus sp.

Dryden, Tompkins Co., NY, 15 December 2006.

All pictures were taken by my son Jay and me and are © Kevin and Jay McGowan.  They were taken with a Sony DSC-W7 Cybershot digital camera through a Swarovski HD-80 or AT-65 spotting scope. 

Hosted by the

Lynne and David Olds of Dryden, NY had been having hummingbirds coming to their feeders throughout the summer of 2006 and well into the fall. They continued to have birds coming through mid-September, then throughout October to the first of November. From 17 November on they had a hummingbird coming consistently, and between 2 and 12 December the visitor was coming every day. Just when their breeding Ruby-throated Hummingbirds stopped coming and a Rufous/Allen's took over is difficult to say.

On 15 December 2006 Jay and I visited (along with Kevin McGann and Joe Brin), and finally got a look at the hummingbird. Its bright rufous flanks and long tail relative to the wing tips confirmed it as a Selasaphorus hummingbird, probably a Rufous or Allen's. Because the bird did not stay at the feeder for much more than 10 or 15 seconds at a time, we did not get good enough looks to make a guess on its specific identity. The position of the feeder in the shade of the house prevented getting any good photos, but we did get something to document the bird. The amount of reddish showing on the back in some photographs suggests that this is an immature male Rufous Hummingbird.

We saw:

• A female-plumaged hummingbird with a mostly green back; white neck collar and center of chest, and rufous flanks and sides. 
• The rufous was bright and extensive along the sides of the bird, creating a noticeable vest, and extending up onto the shoulder of the bird. In the photographs some rufous could be seen on the nape, back, and behind the eyes.
• The tail was rather long, and extended beyond the wingtips when the bird was perched.
• The bill was straight, or only very slightly down-curved, all dark, and medium to long.
• The eye was dark with a small white spot directly posterior to it. The lores were dark.
• The throat was whitish with several small darkish spots near the bottom of the gorget area, and at least one large dark spot in the center near the bottom.
• We did not get a very good look at the tail, but did see that it was dark with big white tips to the feathers.
• The bird spent very little time at the feeder, disappearing off to the north of the house between its periodic visits. We presumed it was in a sheltered spot somewhere, perhaps in the large spruces near the house, but we could not find its perch.

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