[TN-Bird] Re: Maryville Archilochus hummer
- From: John Devereux Joslin <jdjoslin@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: cmmbirds@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 07 Dec 2003 08:31:40 -0500
As a follow-up to Charlie Muise' excellent description of the
"possible Black-chinned hummingbird" in Blount County, TN, I spent about
an hour yesterday (Saturday) observing the bird at Ann Tallent's home
(920 Williams St.,
Maryville, TN). Thanks so much for your hospitality!
Getting in my two cents worth, I am leaning slightly towards immature
or female Black-chinned, keeping in mind the quote in the Nat. Geographic
Field Guide, "females and immatures of these two species [Black-chinned
and Ruby-throated] or almost indistinguishable."
I have taken a slightly different tack and gone through each of the
"distinguishing" characteristics listed by Sibley in his new guide, one
by one:
1. B-C HAS GRAYER CROWN: The best I could tell on this cloudy day, the
crown was a dull green and from some angles appeared a little
gray---SCORE: undecided, but leaning towards B-C very slightly.
2. B-C's AURICULARS contrast less with the throat than Ruby-thr.:
Difficult to tell in this light and no series of birds lined up at the
feeder to compare and contrast---SCORE: undecided.
3. B-C HAS SLIGHTLY LONGER BILL--The bill certainly appeared very long
to me, in fact longer than what my memory tells me a Ruby-throat should
be. But then how good is my memory?
---SCORE: a very subjective slight positive for Black-chinned.
4. B-C PUMPS TAIL WHEN HOVERING: I did not observe the bird enough when
hovering (though Charlie and Ann have both reported a fair amount of
pumping): SCORE: undecided.
5. RUBY-THR. TAIL LONGER WITH DEEPER NOTCH: No way to directly compare
tail length and was not able to observe whether there was a
notch---SCORE: undecided.
6. RUBY-THR. AVERAGES BRIGHTER GOLDEN-GREEN ON BACK: The bird had a
moderately bright green back. This characteristic seems very subjective
and no way to compare under circumstances---SCORE: undecided.
6. RUBY-THROAT TAIL CLEARLY PROJECTS BEYOND WINGTIPS, WHILE B-C TAIL IS
ABOUT EVEN WITH WINGTIPS. The bird I observed numerous times always had
wings that were even with or longer than the tail. In fact with wings
folded, I simply could not see the tail. SCORE: One solid point for
Black-chinned.
Based largely on this last point, with slight assists from the
dullness of the crown (#1) and the seemingly long bill (#3) and the
observations of others concerning tail-pumping (#4), I would go with
Black-chinned. I feel comfortable going out on this shaky limb, keeping
in mind the quote in Nat. Geographic's field guide (at least until some
geneticist rules otherwise). Sure wish Chris Sloan or someone would
mist-net this baby and check it out.
--Dev Joslin
Oak Ridge, TN
Charlie wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> Grrr. I had half this long email written and hit the wrong dang
> button and lost it! Here goes again.
>
> Yesterday I went to the Tallent's house in Maryville to see the
> hummer. At 10:45, about 15 minutes after I arrived, the bird flew
> in. I spent the next 45 minutes watching it. It was quite
> cooperative and I was able to view it extensively as it flew,
> perched, hoovered, fed, and even appeared to hawk insects (though it
> seemed much too cold for there to be any flying...) I saw it in lots
> of different light, from lots of different angles. Often I was quite
> close to it. Here are my notes:
>
> At first I wasn't sure it was an Archilochus, because it has a lot
> more cinnamon on the belly than any of my references show for either
> Ruby-throated (RTHU) or Black-chinned (BCHU). But I was able to rule
> out everything else in my Peterson, Sibley and Sheri L. Williamson's
> Peterson Field Guide: Hummingbirds of North America.
>
> Bill: 100% black at all angles. Didn't seem longer than I'm
> accostomed to with RTHU, nor did it seem particularly decurved.
> Pretty straight. But I see that some birds have shorter bills than
> others with a species.
> Score one point to inconclusive.
>
> Gorget: at least 4-5 very colored feathers at the very center, and
> some spangling. I watched the gorget a whole lot after giving up on
> morphology of retrices and primaries, which are supposed to be better
> marks. I saw this darn bird in great light from really close. I saw
> it from below, from the side, and even briefly from above. I could
> not do anything with those 2 marks with the lack of experience I have
> to bear. At no time did I see any color other than black from those
> central gorget feathers.
> Score 1/2 point to BCHU.
>
> Back: all green. No buff feather edges.
>
> Top of head: seemed less green on forecrown, but I'm not sure I
> could call it gray. A definite difference, but I can't say if it's
> enough difference.
> Score another point to inconclusive
>
> tail: Green dorsal surface. Notched, but I can't say if it was
> deeply enough so to be a RTHU or not. R3-5 had what I'd call
> extensive white tips. R2-5 had a dark sub-terminal band, but I'm not
> sure I could call it black or even very dark. I never got a good
> look at either R1.
>
> These things led me to believe adult female bird, but I can't rule
> out an immature male. Just seems like too much white on the tail for
> it.
>
> Behavior: pumped it's tail a lot when hovering, but I'm not sure it
> was more than RTHU does. It appeared to hawk insects, but I thought
> it was too cold for any to be flying! I never saw it chase anything.
> It never sat at the same perch more than a minute, but often sat in
> one place for 20-40 seconds. Usually at the top of a 15-foot
> ornamental cherry, or the top of a 30-foot deciduous tree I never
> identified. It came to the feeder often, and usually stayed about 10
> - 15 seconds.
> Score another for inconclusive.
>
> head: the white postocular spot didn't seem as bold as I'm used to.
> There was some contrast with the white collar, but I haven't paid
> enough attention to RTHU to say if this means anything. Cheeks were
> medium gray. Lores gray.
> Score another to Idunno
>
> underside: off-white to dirty-white or light gray. No marking.
> belly as above.
>
> So I'm leaning very, very, very slightly towards Black-chinned. But
> that may just be because I want it to be!
>
> I hope Chris or Fred or someone can get out and band the bird. And
> I'd LOVE to assist.
>
> BTW, while I was there, I saw 3 Purple Finches. I also saw a cat
> (NOT belonging to the Tallent's) eating a White-throated Sparrow.
> Ann lamented the presence of this cat when I met her last week.
> Apprarently belongs to a neighbor, as it has a collar.
>
> Charlie
>
> =====
> **************************************************
> Charlie Muise, Senior Naturalist
> Now living in Maryville, TN
> Still working in Great Smoky Mountains
> National Park
>
> "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm"
> Ralph Waldo Emerson
>
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TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
endorse the views or opinions expressed
by the members of this discussion group.
Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
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Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
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