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Black chinned or Lucifer???


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Not an expert, but #1 looks like more black on the cheeks than is typical for Black-chinned. The bill looks on the long / curved side for a Black-chinned (and short for a Lucifer), so could probably go either way, but probably better for a Black-chinned. #2-#4 has less black on the cheek, though it's still pretty dark for a Black-chinned. On the other hand, all the photos seem to lack buff / cinnamon color on the flanks which Lucifer females seem to usually have. In this case I would definitely pay attention to any sound it might make.

Hummingbirds frequently hybridize, so maybe that is a possibility.

Hope that helps.

Edited by tedsandyman
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Looking at it again, I feel it might an immature male Black-chinned. In the first picture the dark on the face at the bottom looks like it be the gorget coming in. That would also explain why it's only on one side of the face. The dark ear patch is also mostly connected with the back of the neck / head, which is good for a Black-chinned. The bill's curve / length is also still probably within the range of a 'pure' Black-chinned.

I'm sure there's someone on here who can give you a more knowledgable answer though. (Thanks for nothing, eh?)

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I think that dark spot on the first bird is just displaced feathers showing the darker down feathers below. These both look like Black-chinned -- the hint of color on the underparts of the second one looks like a reflection off of the red feeder. Lucifer are really distinctive-looking, when you do spot one. (The most reliable spot I know of is the Ash Canyon B&B just south of Sierra Vista -- earlier in the month she suggests coming in an hour before sunset, if I remember correctly, but they're likely a bit easier by this point in the season.)

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