JB
Honorary Moderator Emeritus
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2001
- Messages
- 45,907
As most of you know, I feed hummingbirds. My flock has grown to around 50 this year. The wars over the feeders are constant entertainment.<br /><br />I sometimes get a ruby throat male in the spring or fall, but most of the year my li'l buddies are what I think are black chinned hummers. The females and young cannot be told apart on live birds.<br /><br />According to my Peterson Field Guide my adult males match the description. . . .Black chin, white collar, no fork in the tail. . . but:<br /><br />According to Perterson the throat above the white collar shows blue-violet in the right light. I have not seen this blue-violet. What I do get is a brilliant ruby red, almost flourescent. <br /><br />These are definitely not ruby throats. They are smaller. Ruby throats don't have the white collar and their color is visible in most light.<br /><br />I will try to get a pic or two, but it is very difficult because when it appears it lasts for less than a second, then the light changes.<br /><br />Do I have a subspecies or hybrids, or is Peterson wrong?
<br /><br />My males look like that except that the throat patch is larger and bright ruby red, but only when the light is right. The white collar is more distinct, too.<br /><br />Gotta set up the camera and try to get a pic of "P-51" (he is boss bird).
