Can you help us ID a hummer?

[Gardendipity]

I'm sorry but we don't have any photos of this hummer. He was observed several times by my husband and once by me.

At first I thought it was our male Rufous because the coloring was similar (rusty-color), but then my husband pointed out the dark colored (possibly black) verticle line down his throat, very defined.

Does anyone have any guesses as to what kind of hummer this might be?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

[moboston]

I'm sure Steve witl get back with you. I can only say that the coloring on my male immature Rufous has changed drastically since he first arrived. The female Rufous also has coloring in the gorget area. Perhaps yours is just now beginning to get the color under the throat.

Good luck getting an ID.

Fred Bassett is at Steve's banding today. He was in Lakeland yesterday and caught my female Rufous, who turned out to be the one Doreen banded last Feb. So she came all the way back to my yard to spend the winter.

[Gardendipity]

Thanks for the reply. Maybe you're right and it was an immature male Rufous starting to get gorget coloring. It didn't occur to me that we might have two Rufous'! That would be exciting.

I read on Steve's yard web site that he had Fred Bassett at his home today. It's so interesting to find out that your Rufous is a return visitor! Isn't it amazing how these little birds can find their way back here from such a long migration journey, all the way back to a little patch of yard they visited a year ago!

I'm glad to be able to offer our hummingbirds a little haven to spend their winter months in, where the feeders are plentiful and always full.

Thanks again for the reply!





This is the first year we've ever spotted a Rufous in our yard. They are so pretty!

[Steve Backes]

I apologize for taking so long to respond. It's been a very busy week. Luckily, some of that "busy" has been enjoying the birds in my yard.

Your description would indicate that you were seeing a Rufous but I can't say if it was the same one or not. They sometimes get wet or dirty feathers that may appear as a line or mark. If you're still seeing the original bird then you can rule out new gorget feathers growing in.

It could be a second bird. I lost one around then.

Steve