What Hummer ?

[Dan P]

Taken on 4-29-2021 in the morning at Bear Divide in Angeles National Forest (between Canyon Country and Lake View Terrace, CA).  Ongoing migration count and banding station.

All photos are of the same bird.

[DLecy]

Black-chinned Hummingbird.

[DLecy]

On second glance, I'm not so sure the width/shape of the rectrices are right for BCHU, and the anterior vanes in the remiges don't seem narrow like those of Archilochus hummingbirds. 

So, my best guess is a drab juv. female Anna's. 

[Connor Cochrane]

The rectrices are also too rounded for BCHU.

[Dan P]

Is it possibly a female Costa's, or is Anna's more likely?

[Bird-Boys]

 

On 5/20/2021 at 5:55 PM, Dan P said:

Is it possibly a female Costa's, or is Anna's more likely?

This is an Anna's. Away from California's deserts and the sierras, Anna's is generally the expected species. (This of course only applies to areas within Anna's hummingbird's range.) 

1. Female/immature male Black-chinned Hummingbird (usually appears small)

2. Juv. female Anna's Hummingbird 

3. Female Costa's Hummingbird (notice how chunky they usually look)

[Tony Leukering]

2 minutes ago, Bird-Boys said:

(usually appears small)

That has not been my impression. They look long and lanky and I've seen a number of observers confuse them with much larger hummer species (like Violet-crowned -- ain't it weird how 3/4 of an inch can be "much larger?"), and that's despite that most of my experience with BCHU is around Broad-taileds. I don't know how it happens that they look big to me, but I have experienced it often.

[Dan P]

2 hours ago, Bird-Boys said:

This is an Anna's. Away from California's deserts and the sierras, Anna's is generally the expected species.

The reason I asked about Costa's is that I was at a location where there was a migratory bird count and banding operation.  The nets were set up in an area on a saddle where there was a lot of Tree Tobacco and Yerba Santa, with several hummingbirds foraging -- especially on the Tree Tobacco.

The official bird counters and banders uploaded checklists with the following hummingbird counts:

6 -- Black-chinned Hummingbird
2 -- Costa's Hummingbird
2 -- Rufous Hummingbird
16 -- Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird
1 -- Calliope Hummingbird
5 -- hummingbird sp., Trochilidae sp.

 

There were 34 checklists uploaded to eBird that day by 20 different people -- some uploaded 2 checklists.  The lists by the official counters had 80 species total.

Although none of the official counters and banders identified any Anna's Hummingbirds, there were two other people whose checklists included 1 Anna's each (but no photos).  So although the official count didn't include Anna's, at least two other people say they ID'd at least one.

I sent my above photos to the person that was in charge of the banding operation and she said that it looked like an immature/female Costa's...but she didn't sound positive -- said that it's important to note foraging behavior when IDing hummingbirds.  Anyway, that's why I thought I would ask the WhatBird Forum for an opinion.  At this point I think I should not give it an ID.

Thanks.

 

 

 

[DLecy]

42 minutes ago, Dan P said:

The reason I asked about Costa's is that I was at a location where there was a migratory bird count and banding operation.  The nets were set up in an area on a saddle where there was a lot of Tree Tobacco and Yerba Santa, with several hummingbirds foraging -- especially on the Tree Tobacco.

The official bird counters and banders uploaded checklists with the following hummingbird counts:

6 -- Black-chinned Hummingbird
2 -- Costa's Hummingbird
2 -- Rufous Hummingbird
16 -- Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird
1 -- Calliope Hummingbird
5 -- hummingbird sp., Trochilidae sp.

 

There were 34 checklists uploaded to eBird that day by 20 different people -- some uploaded 2 checklists.  The lists by the official counters had 80 species total.

Although none of the official counters and banders identified any Anna's Hummingbirds, there were two other people whose checklists included 1 Anna's each (but no photos).  So although the official count didn't include Anna's, at least two other people say they ID'd at least one.

I sent my above photos to the person that was in charge of the banding operation and she said that it looked like an immature/female Costa's...but she didn't sound positive -- said that it's important to note foraging behavior when IDing hummingbirds.  Anyway, that's why I thought I would ask the WhatBird Forum for an opinion.  At this point I think I should not give it an ID.

Thanks.

 

 

 

I could see how this could be a COHU. In two of the pics it looks okay for one, and two of the pics it looks to have a confusingly long tail. Perhaps it should be left as Calypte sp.? I think that's most accurate.