Project Noah is a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere.
Project Noah is a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere.
Selasphorus sasin
These hummingbirds look similar to the Rufous. Males have rust-colored rufous flanks, rump, and tail, but also have a green back and forehead. Females are similarly colored without a throat patch. Instead, they have a speckled throat. They are small, adults reach only 3 to 3.5 inches.
The Allen's Hummingbird is common only in the brushy woods, gardens, and meadows of coastal California from Santa Barbara north, and a minuscule portion of lower Oregon.
Spotted at Hilltop Park, Signal Hill, CA. This male was comfortably sharing a tree with the female whose pics I've separately uploaded. I'm uncertain about the i.d. of either, but I believe I've got it right now. I do live within the range of a third, non-migratory hybrid (with Anna's) Floresi's Hummingbird, "Selasphorus" floresii, but that female shows some throat patching. I am also too far south to be comfortably within the range of Rufous.
Lat: 33.78, Long: -118.17
Spotted on Jul 17, 2012
Submitted on Jul 17, 2012
7 Comments
I'm glad you guys like the pic! It was shot with a macro, and I only had the one chance! The male was very shy (not bossy like some hummers). I was lucky to get it at all! :D
Thanks for being understanding, and providing your assistance. :)
I really am a stickler for proper identification, and birds are not easy!
This is an excellent link!
I agree with your choice.
i will remove my suggestion.
Hi Emma, I do realize that. I did quite a bit of reading before selecting my choice. (I normally do insect taxonomy!) I opted for the Allen's because I'm well within its standard flight range, and it displays the green sides which a Rufous lacks. I just found this site showing still images differentiating between the two. You can clearly see the green shoulders in my own spot.
http://www.birdzilla.com/bird-identifica...
Christine,Rufous are migratory. There are spottings on Noah for Rufous spotted in Escondindo, San Diego.This is as far as the range is concerned.
Yes Allen and Rufous can be mistaken for each other.
Liam usually looks at the unknown spottings and he is our bird expert. You can wait for his feed back.
Thanks Anna! I'm further south than is common for Rufous and I'm well within range of Allen's which apparently looks like a Rufous, but has a green back (which you can see in the pic). For now that's the i.d. I'm using, and your i.d. as a Rufous helped me to know that it looked the same to other people.
http://hummingbirdworld.com/h/rufous.htm...
This looks like a rufous humming bird(male)