HUMMINGBIRDS CANADA
  • HUMMINGBIRDS OF CANADA
  • REPORT A HUMMINGBIRD SIGHTING
  • PRODUCTS
  • HUMMING BLOG
  • PRODUCT REVIEWS
  • GARDEN BLOG
  • FLOWERS
  • HUMMINGBIRD FLICKS
  • CONTACT
  • RETAILER INFO.
  • Archives
  • HUMMINGBIRDS OF CANADA
  • REPORT A HUMMINGBIRD SIGHTING
  • PRODUCTS
  • HUMMING BLOG
  • PRODUCT REVIEWS
  • GARDEN BLOG
  • FLOWERS
  • HUMMINGBIRD FLICKS
  • CONTACT
  • RETAILER INFO.
  • Archives

Humming Blog

I can't tell them apart

9/4/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
                                 Millions of hummingbirds travel across the continent annually and can make it difficult for us to decipher one from the other within the same species. Adult males, of course, have the obvious ruby colored throat that can appear black without light reflecting off of it, but the rest can look very similar. After watching generations of young appear in my yard over the years, I can tell you that the young males develop the gorget(throat feathers) very differently. They are probably the easiest to identify, however still difficult, unless you look at the throat markings. I have seen young males with virtually no dark gorget feathers, but will have one single glistening red dot appear somewhere on the throat. Then I've seen others with an obvious shadowed throat pattern(five o'clock shadow) indicating it's clearly a young male. The one imaged is one of the most advanced throats I've seen in my region. Being in the Northern most part of their territory it's uncommon to see red appearing on the young throats, but I have seen a small handful over the years. As they migrate south and mature, they develop their red patches and become far more obvious the further south they go. This, of course, only applies to the young males. The young females will remain dull in color for the sole purpose of protection and camouflage during nesting once they mature. The young Ruby-throated male hummingbird imaged is one of the most advanced throats I've seen in my region. Like I mentioned, I've seen a handful of birds with the random red spots, but this one is a consistent dark pattern throughout the entire throat. It was extremely easy to tell him apart from all the rest. 
​August 2017, N.E. of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2022
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    March 2014
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012

    Categories

    All
    Annuals
    Canada
    Flowers
    Gardening
    How To Attract Hummingbirds
    How To Attract Hummingbirds In Canada
    Hummingbird Books
    Hummingbird Ebooks
    Hummingbird Guidebook
    Hummingbird Migration
    Hummingbirds
    Indoor Gardening
    Indoor Planting
    Jewel Of The North
    Michael Wiens
    Migration
    Perennials
    Springtime
    Start Your Seeds

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • HUMMINGBIRDS OF CANADA
  • REPORT A HUMMINGBIRD SIGHTING
  • PRODUCTS
  • HUMMING BLOG
  • PRODUCT REVIEWS
  • GARDEN BLOG
  • FLOWERS
  • HUMMINGBIRD FLICKS
  • CONTACT
  • RETAILER INFO.
  • Archives