Question: Stuart Kent Merrell wrote: How the heck do they know that this
is a Ruby-throat given the birds white plumage? A puzzled naturalist.
Answer: It can be determined by the overall shape of the hummingbird, the
shape and length of the wing, the shape and curve of the primary wing
feathers (first 10), the shape of the tips of the tail feathers, the length
of the bill, etc. With respect to the primary wing feathers the position of
the feather shaft (rachis) and amount of the web that is on the leading edge
vs. the trailing edge of the feathers. This is all detailed due to the
exquisite quality of the photos presented by Kevin Shank. Photography at
its very finest. http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=9
Sheri Williamson's book "Hummingbirds of North America" can shed more light
on the details touched upon above.
Happy HummBirding! Craig
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Craig Zalk
Cell: 713.553.4500
Office: 703.208.4008
