Which Hummer and Why?

[floraphile]

Taken 02/27/2020.  Baldwin co. (coastal) Alabama.

May or may not be same individual from last post.  

Ruby Throat vs Black-Chinned, and specific field marks/algorithm you used to ID, please :)   We have both species (as well as the occasional Rufous and Anna's) and both the RT and BC overwinter here.  

 

Thank you!

 

[Charlie Spencer]

AAB says RTHU have longer tails that extend beyond the wings, BCHU have wings that reach the end of the tail or slightly beyond.

This would appear to be Black-chinned to my untrained eye.

[Birding Boy]

I'd go with Black-Chinned as well

[Phalarope713]

I’m seeing female Ruby-throated on this one. Also, I think Black-chinned would be quite rare in Alabama. 

[floraphile]

Hi,  Phalarpe--Possibly in northern or central Alabama, but Black-Chinneds are not particularly rare here in Baldwin county and they do overwinter here.   Can you make an ID on morphology alone for this one?  Here is a link to ebird's bar chart for the area:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-chinned_Hummingbird/id

 

 

[floraphile]

15 minutes ago, floraphile said:

Hi,  Phalarpe--Possibly in northern or central Alabama, but Black-Chinneds are not particularly rare here in Baldwin county and they do overwinter here.   Can you make an ID on morphology alone for this one?  Here is a link to ebird's bar chart for the area:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-chinned_Hummingbird/id

 

 

Let me try again:  https://ebird.org/species/bkchum/US-AL-003

 

[the big dipper]

Ruby throated

 

 IS the more expected of the two right?  I'd consider contacting a bander.

Edited February 27, 2020 by the big dipper

[Charlie Spencer]

35 minutes ago, the big dipper said:

Ruby throated IS the more expected of the two right?  I'd consider contacting a bander.

I don't know that we can say any species is more expected in AL during the last week of Feb.  Any hummer right now is extremely early.  One migration map has barely a dozen sightings so far.

https://www.hummingbirdcentral.com/hummingbird-migration-spring-2020-map.htm

Edited February 27, 2020 by Charlie Spencer

[Jefferson Shank]

 

AAB says RTHU have longer tails that extend beyond the wings, BCHU have wings that reach the end of the tail or slightly beyond.

I would say Black-chinned Hummingbird but not totally positive. You can try posting your pictures and questions on BirdForum Bird Identification Q&A to see what they say about it.

Edited February 28, 2020 by Jefferson Shank

[Tony Leukering]

The bill looks fairly short and straight, though photo angle might make for foreshortening. Unfortunately, the very tip of the wing seems to be hidden beneath the tail. The bird also looks fairly white below and bright green above. All of these features suggest Ruby-throated.

[the big dipper]

On 2/27/2020 at 6:56 PM, Charlie Spencer said:

I don't know that we can say any species is more expected in AL during the last week of Feb.  Any hummer right now is extremely early.  One migration map has barely a dozen sightings so far.

https://www.hummingbirdcentral.com/hummingbird-migration-spring-2020-map.htm

I would think it is more likely an overwinterer than an early bird.  True, neither bird would be the default archilochus.

[Sean C]

RTHU

[darknight]

On 2/27/2020 at 8:43 PM, Tony Leukering said:

The bill looks fairly short and straight, though photo angle might make for foreshortening. Unfortunately, the very tip of the wing seems to be hidden beneath the tail. The bird also looks fairly white below and bright green above. All of these features suggest Ruby-throated.

I agree, this bird would stand out here in California as being very green and contrasty with a short bill. 

 

As others have mentioned, there's been a huge increasing in the number of wintering Black-chinned and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in the gulf states in the last few decades. It's now pretty common for some people to have multiple Black-chinned AND Ruby-throated wintering in their yard. Some lucky people get Calliope, Rufous and Buff-bellied too.