dgack
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Post by dgack on Sept 27, 2011 11:50:00 GMT -5
 I love to see the small brown hummingbirds that really like my blue flowering tree in front of my house. Just yesterday evening I saw one small Hummingbird - sometimes there are more than one. We also have some blue plumbagos that I've seen larger hummingbirds visit many times in the past. I was always under the impression that HB's liked red-flowering plants and was surprised that blue seems to be a favorite! Anyway - new to this so I guess I should look up the different types of Florida HB's there are to help collect data. I live in Sanford and we've always had HB's at our house.
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Post by birdiefood on Oct 18, 2011 13:00:30 GMT -5
Are the small browns hummingbirds???
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Post by Steve Backes on Oct 18, 2011 19:51:18 GMT -5
These sound like sphinx moths (hummingbird moths).
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Post by Bruce Smith on Nov 19, 2011 7:47:11 GMT -5
We're from NJ and used to HB's but I hadn't seen them in Florida until recently. We have a house in NW Cape Coral and at dusk several HB's come out and hit our bushes with blue flowers on them. These are the smallest HB's I've ever seen - about an inch and a half long. Since it's at dusk, I can't tell what color they are. I went to Lowes to get a HB feeder, but they said they don't carry them cause there's no HB's around here. The post above talks about a HB moth - what's that? I used to think our NJ hummingbirds went south to FL in September - where do they go. I don't know a lot about HB's - I just feed them.
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jan
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Post by jan on Nov 19, 2011 20:52:23 GMT -5
Bruce, I'm in SE Cape Coral and yes, we do have hummingbirds - though not as plentiful as other areas and frequently hard to spot. Years ago I had a nest in my hedges, so they aren't just snowbirds. I don't know if what you saw are hummingbirds, they might have been moths, but now is a good time to try and attract the hummers.
I've bought very nice hummingbird feeders at Lowes on Vets & Santa Barbara, and also see them in all the big stores in our area, even Walmart has a nice selection. Best you just go to the bird feeder isle rather than ask anyone. I've had many people tell me we don't have them here - wrong!
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Post by Shell on Jun 12, 2014 17:07:04 GMT -5
I'm sure what you saw wasn't a moth as people are suggesting. When I first saw the small brown hummingbird I thought it was a fast moth because I had never see a hummingbird that small and all brown in FL before! But then it flew right past my face and I was shocked to discover it was a hummingbird! It then fed on some flowers where I could see it better for a short time. I'm currently trying to find out what it's called. That's how I ended up here. I don't think it's the same as that picture (at least not for me) because it seemed solid brown, no white. Unless maybe males and females differ this way? All I know is it was very tiny, very brown and very much a hummingbird.
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Post by Steve Backes on Jun 12, 2014 22:09:02 GMT -5
Shell, I've learned to never say never but I don't think you are seeing a hummingbird. Your description of "small and all Brown", "very tiny, very brown", and "solid brown, no white" does not fit any hummingbird ever reported to be in Florida, or anywhere in the US. It does fit as number of sphinx moths. It's easy to mistake a sphinx moth in flight for a hummingbird because they fly the same. They both hover while feeding at flowers. Sphinx moths tend to be out at dusk or dawn when the lighting is not ideal so you don't really get a good enough look to realize whether there is a hard straight bill or antennae. You don't mention multiple hummingbirds or any vocalizations. Sphinx moths will occasionally feed in small groups. Hummingbirds don't. Hummingbirds do often chip while sphinx moths are generally quiet. I've posted some pictures of sphinx moths in this thread including a relatively common very small brown one. floridahummingbirds.proboards.com/thread/66/hillsborough-county-sphinx-moths Check out the posts on this board to see other photos of sphinx moths. floridahummingbirds.proboards.com/board/7/hummingbird-moths-sphinxSteve |
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Post by Jack Allen on Jun 14, 2014 17:15:47 GMT -5
I live in Venice. I have had a hummingbird feeder out for quite a while, sitting amongst my flowers, but I have yet to see a hummingbird! Originally coming from New England I am used to seeing them quite often. Do we have hummingbirds in my area in the summer?
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Post by Steve Backes on Jun 16, 2014 9:19:58 GMT -5
Jack,
Your chances of having breeding hummingbirds in the Venice area are low but migrants and wintering birds are possible. That said, young birds from the first broods are dispersing now so your chances of seeing one will increase over the next month or two before fall migration is in full swing.
Steve
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Post by DonsNatureNotes on Jun 16, 2014 9:32:44 GMT -5
Steve's information is correct. The folks in this discussion about small brown hummingbirds are actually seeing sphinx months aka hummingbird moths because they resemble small hummingbirds.
As Steve noted the sphinx moths will usually feed at the same time and place every evening and often several at a time. Aside from the hum of their wings the moths do not make any other sounds.
Happy Humming!
Don
Garden Designer & Naturalist
Don's Nature Notes
Audubon Hummingbirds at Home
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Post by Trudie Smith on Sept 21, 2014 20:15:43 GMT -5
I live in Venice. I have had a hummingbird feeder out for quite a while, sitting amongst my flowers, but I have yet to see a hummingbird! Originally coming from New England I am used to seeing them quite often. Do we have hummingbirds in my area in the summer? Hello Jack. I am in south venice and just saw my first hummingbird this morning, very exciting. My husband has seen them but I have not. So the answer is YES we have hb in venice, fl. |
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Post by Elizabeth on Nov 11, 2014 18:51:56 GMT -5
My fiancé and I have been seeing a small brown hummingbird hovering around a flowering bush with purple flowers which I believe is called a durantes repens . Today at dusk it was flying around for at least ten minutes and we got a good long close up look. It was not a moth, it was a tiny completely brown humming bird . We live in West Davie . We tried to get pictures but the flash blurred the picture .
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Post by Steve Backes on Nov 18, 2014 10:57:22 GMT -5
"Tiny brown hummingbirds at dusk" indicates sphinx moths. The "brown" hummingbird that you may see would be the same size as a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. They're bulkier so they actually appear larger. Sphinx moths fly and feed like a hummingbird. It's very easy to mistake one for a hummingbird. In the low light of the times they fly, detail is usually hard to see. Look for a straight bill and a large fanned tail. Sphinx moths have a curled proboscis like a butterfly, no bill. They also have antennae which may be hard to see.
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Post by Trudy on May 7, 2017 16:44:15 GMT -5
I too have seen a small brown hummingbird in my garden. I have ruby throats too. I am absolutely positive it was not a sphinx moth. It had a long thin beak and made a humming sound with its wings. Maybe there is a new type of hummingbird hanging around. I have had other birds that aren't supposed this far south, yet here they are! I live in Wesley Chapel in Pasco conty
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Post by T.G. on May 28, 2017 10:53:45 GMT -5
I too have seen a small brown hummingbird in my garden. I have ruby throats too. I am absolutely positive it was not a sphinx moth. It had a long thin beak and made a humming sound with its wings. Maybe there is a new type of hummingbird hanging around. I have had other birds that aren't supposed this far south, yet here they are! I live in Wesley Chapel in Pasco conty |
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Post by T.G. on May 28, 2017 11:11:55 GMT -5
Sitting near a patio I saw a small brown hummingbird. I was so excited seeing it around the huge potted plant with purple flowers.
It's my first sighting but definitely not a moth, it had a long/needle like beak, saw it 10:30am, a bright and sunny Florida morning. It stay around less than 2 minutes then flew away. From the comments here I gather the sightings are rare so I feel fortunate to have seen one.
I'm in Tampa, Florida so that was rare for me.😊
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Post by Joe M on Jun 6, 2017 14:46:10 GMT -5
Sitting near a patio I saw a small brown hummingbird. I was so excited seeing it around the huge potted plant with purple flowers. It's my first sighting but definitely not a moth, it had a long/needle like beak, saw it 10:30am, a bright and sunny Florida morning. It stay around less than 2 minutes then flew away. From the comments here I gather the sightings are rare so I feel fortunate to have seen one. I'm in Tampa, Florida so that was rare for me.😊 Hummingbirds in FL are not rare, but "brown" hummingbirds are! I don't dispute your observation but do think that your describing the bird as "brown" is somewhat puzzling. There are no N. American hummingbirds that are identified as "brown", There are a few hummer species that have Rufous coloring but their colors on parts of their bodies are very reddish brown or brownish red. The problem is that Rufous Hummingbirds are only seen in FL during the winter months. No other N. American hummer would be considered as "brownish" in my mind. Since it's your first sighting, there is little doubt you may not know what to look for in describing the bird. The primary identification areas to look for is the back, throat, belly and tail of the bird. None of our N. American birds are "brownish or Rufous" in all 4 areas. There are actually no hummingbirds that can be described as having a single color such as a "brownish hummingbird". Get a good bird identification guide and keep it handy and the next time you see a hummer you will know what to look for and identify the species! Sincerely, Joe M. |
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Post by lori t on Jun 16, 2017 5:55:03 GMT -5
Sitting near a patio I saw a small brown hummingbird. I was so excited seeing it around the huge potted plant with purple flowers. It's my first sighting but definitely not a moth, it had a long/needle like beak, saw it 10:30am, a bright and sunny Florida morning. It stay around less than 2 minutes then flew away. From the comments here I gather the sightings are rare so I feel fortunate to have seen one. I'm in Tampa, Florida so that was rare for me.😊 Hummingbirds in FL are not rare, but "brown" hummingbirds are! I don't dispute your observation but do think that your describing the bird as "brown" is somewhat puzzling. There are no N. American hummingbirds that are identified as "brown", There are a few hummer species that have Rufous coloring but their colors on parts of their bodies are very reddish brown or brownish red. The problem is that Rufous Hummingbirds are only seen in FL during the winter months. No other N. American hummer would be considered as "brownish" in my mind. Since it's your first sighting, there is little doubt you may not know what to look for in describing the bird. The primary identification areas to look for is the back, throat, belly and tail of the bird. None of our N. American birds are "brownish or Rufous" in all 4 areas. There are actually no hummingbirds that can be described as having a single color such as a "brownish hummingbird". Get a good bird identification guide and keep it handy and the next time you see a hummer you will know what to look for and identify the species! Sincerely, Joe M. |
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Post by lori t on Jun 16, 2017 6:03:36 GMT -5
anyone seeing any hummingbirds around st auguatine beach? i thought i caught a glimpse of one a few days ago but no more since... i hope to see more again!
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Post by supra321 on Jul 7, 2017 17:33:57 GMT -5
I have an all brown Hummingbird in my yard or somewhere close. It frequents my feeder I recently put out. This is indeed a bird and not a moth. It is pretty small compared to other ones I have seen. It is a solid light brown color. May have a little white mixed in. No flashy coloring. Short flat tail. At first I thought it was a finch. I'll try to take a picture the next time I see it. I live in Eastern Va. on the coast.
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Post by Joe M on Jul 10, 2017 14:48:58 GMT -5
Supra321,
Most certainly what you observed is a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Very common throughout the east including coastal areas during the summer months.
Nice to have you as a guest on our FL hummingbird site. Since hummingbirds are so small they present themselves to the eye as an in descript brownish very small bird. Unless you are real quick and they are really up close its difficult to note the green back, white belly or their gorget detail. Binoculars are almost always necessary. Gorget detail is important since it often can identify a male vs. a female but not always. Immature birds are quite similar in appearance requiring real attention to detail. Most birders, even very experienced ones, will have difficulty in positively determining the sex of the bird.
Hope your hummer returns and you have the time to get a better look at it.
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Post by scottinsofla on Aug 31, 2017 13:36:24 GMT -5
Hi, I'm new on the board. I wanted to share this with those who know. I took this outside of my unit. It almost resembles a moth in flight but for the obvious differences. From what you're describing above it sounds like this one in the video I took last week. Link> Hummingbird outside my Unit. |
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Post by Joe M on Sept 3, 2017 12:17:25 GMT -5
Hi, I'm new on the board. I wanted to share this with those who know. I took this outside of my unit. It almost resembles a moth in flight but for the obvious differences. From what you're describing above it sounds like this one in the video I took last week. Link> Hummingbird outside my Unit. Thanks for posting "scottinsofl", it might be noted that all hummingbirds are often described as "brown or brownish" when viewed under shady conditions. However in good light their true colors are visible, viewed through decent optics. However your bird at this time of the year is most probably a Ruby-throat. |
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Post by Alabama_gulfcoast on Oct 6, 2017 17:30:48 GMT -5
Shell, I've learned to never say never but I don't think you are seeing a hummingbird. Your description of "small and all Brown", "very tiny, very brown", and "solid brown, no white" does not fit any hummingbird ever reported to be in Florida, or anywhere in the US. It does fit as number of sphinx moths. It's easy to mistake a sphinx moth in flight for a hummingbird because they fly the same. They both hover while feeding at flowers. Sphinx moths tend to be out at dusk or dawn when the lighting is not ideal so you don't really get a good enough look to realize whether there is a hard straight bill or antennae. You don't mention multiple hummingbirds or any vocalizations. Sphinx moths will occasionally feed in small groups. Hummingbirds don't. Hummingbirds do often chip while sphinx moths are generally quiet. I've posted some pictures of sphinx moths in this thread including a relatively common very small brown one. floridahummingbirds.proboards.com/thread/66/hillsborough-county-sphinx-moths Check out the posts on this board to see other photos of sphinx moths. floridahummingbirds.proboards.com/board/7/hummingbird-moths-sphinxSteve |
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Post by Alabama_gulfcoast on Oct 6, 2017 17:37:35 GMT -5
Hi Steve,
I accidentally hit send before I typed my response. I'm seeing the "very small, very brown hummingbird" without any colorings in bright sunlight in the afternoon. It likes to feed on the zinnias and lantana. It's very fast and very timid. I can't get a photo or video of it. I don't think it's a sphinx moth because it is by itself.
There are other moths on the lantana feeding that are brown/blue common type. Those moths just hang around.
I'm near Mobile Bay. I also saw these same ones in Havana, Florida and had looked them up. At that time, I conceded to the idea that it was the sphinx "hummingbird" moth. Now I'm not too sure.
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Post by Gwen on Oct 12, 2017 22:32:06 GMT -5
Hi Steve, I accidentally hit send before I typed my response. I'm seeing the "very small, very brown hummingbird" without any colorings in bright sunlight in the afternoon. It likes to feed on the zinnias and lantana. It's very fast and very timid. I can't get a photo or video of it. I don't think it's a sphinx moth because it is by itself. There are other moths on the lantana feeding that are brown/blue common type. Those moths just hang around. I'm near Mobile Bay. I also saw these same ones in Havana, Florida and had looked them up. At that time, I conceded to the idea that it was the sphinx "hummingbird" moth. Now I'm not too sure. I myself have conceded for 3 years now on the notion that what I too have seen are moths, but they simply can't be, unless HBMoths happen to migrate twice a year here through Interlachen, 40 mins east of Gainesville Fl. I know it sounds nutty, but I have seen these tiny reddish brown guys for 3 years straight twice a year now...always in February and in the fall. Oddly this year they seem to be a few weeks early, but they happen to love my bottle brush tree right next to my front porch so you can get within a foot or two- no doubt they are hummers.Theyre usually here for only around a week or a little more, and I dont have a camera quick enough to tape them. I simply wish there was a way to post for proof...just as others on here as well! I hope that somewhere someone out there takes note of the discussion at the very least; perhaps migration patterns are in a transitioning phase...we do live on an ever changing chunk of dirt! I cant say that we may not be right here, but I can say we just might be...stranger things have happened! Happy hummer watching  ! |
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Post by Gwen on Oct 15, 2017 12:20:45 GMT -5
Hi Steve, I accidentally hit send before I typed my response. I'm seeing the "very small, very brown hummingbird" without any colorings in bright sunlight in the afternoon. It likes to feed on the zinnias and lantana. It's very fast and very timid. I can't get a photo or video of it. I don't think it's a sphinx moth because it is by itself. There are other moths on the lantana feeding that are brown/blue common type. Those moths just hang around. I'm near Mobile Bay. I also saw these same ones in Havana, Florida and had looked them up. At that time, I conceded to the idea that it was the sphinx "hummingbird" moth. Now I'm not too sure. I myself have conceded for 3 years now on the notion that what I too have seen are moths, but they simply can't be, unless HBMoths happen to migrate twice a year here through Interlachen, 40 mins east of Gainesville Fl. I know it sounds nutty, but I have seen these tiny reddish brown guys for 3 years straight twice a year now...always in February and in the fall. Oddly this year they seem to be a few weeks early, but they happen to love my bottle brush tree right next to my front porch so you can get within a foot or two- no doubt they are hummers.Theyre usually here for only around a week or a little more, and I dont have a camera quick enough to tape them. I simply wish there was a way to post for proof...just as others on here as well! I hope that somewhere someone out there takes note of the discussion at the very least; perhaps migration patterns are in a transitioning phase...we do live on an ever changing chunk of dirt! I cant say that we may not be right here, but I can say we just might be...stranger things have happened! Happy hummer watching ! UPDATE!!! It was driving me nuts, so I had to confirm...and I waited..... About eight o'clock in the evening, as I sat on the edge of my porch 5ft off the ground and roughly a foot away from the bottlebrush blooms, here they came. That close, within 20 seconds...I found that Im def getting older, blinder, and that I have a lovely flock of Hummingbird moths that love those blooms prob more than I do! I'll make sure in the future confirmation comes before "fake news"...Lol, simply a joke 😅 !! ....so thats why they're called that...UNCANNY!! Again, Happy Hummer watching!😄 |
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Post by tsuchomel on May 26, 2018 17:21:14 GMT -5
I put a hummingbird feeder up about 2 weeks ago. I'm getting small brown hummingbirds, not sphinx moths. I was wondering if we get colored hummingbirds here in North Florida?
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zeta7
New Member
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Post by zeta7 on May 29, 2018 15:54:18 GMT -5
I'm no expert, wish i was. the experts don't come around very often. I to have a small brown bird. It's about half the size of the ruby throated birds. I tryed taking pictures of it, was told it was a ruby throat. I'm thinking we have some very small birds and their not the ruby throats. Maybe someone will git some pics and we'll find out.
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Post by Dleu on Aug 11, 2018 13:38:56 GMT -5
I don't wish to be disrespectful, but the self styled experts who claim there are no small light brown hummingbirds in North America are quite mistaken. We have a plentiful community of them in our suburban yard outside Council Bluffs, Iowa.
They are amazing beautiful little creatures who love to visit our feeder and nearby flowers, both red and blue. They frequently appear two at a time and are active from early morning to evening, and throughout the day. They have been entertaining us for much of the summer and much to our joy we have recently seen even smaller juveniles which I assume are recently fledged. These recent arrivals are not much bigger than August grass hoppers.
Not only do they frequent our feeder, but often perch briefly on adjacent tiki torch giving prefect up close (5 - 8 feet) viewing opportunites. They definitely are solid light brown with no hint of other colors, though possibly a slightly lighter shade on their breast. Their coloration does not match photos of any hummingbirds I have been able to find anywhere. New species? Perhaps, but definitely very real delicate little birds and not moths!
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I love to see the small brown hummingbirds that really like my blue flowering tree in front of my house. Just yesterday evening I saw one small Hummingbird - sometimes there are more than one. We also have some blue plumbagos that I've seen larger hummingbirds visit many times in the past. I was always under the impression that HB's liked red-flowering plants and was surprised that blue seems to be a favorite! Anyway - new to this so I guess I should look up the different types of Florida HB's there are to help collect data. I live in Sanford and we've always had HB's at our house.
!