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Project Noah Nature School
Selasphorus rufus
Small, short wings, bright rusty orange bodies with pale chests, bright red throats. Females show some green on their backs and tails.
Open areas, scrubby woodlands, meadows, pine forests. They spend winters in Mexico, and summers in the Pacific Northwest, almost to Alaska. They are found in California during spring.
These little birds are fierce. I think they spend more time chasing the Anna's and the black chinned hummingbirds away from the feeders than they spend feeding.
Spotted on May 4, 2013
Submitted on May 4, 2013
11 Comments
Thank you Karen! I didn't know that. And thank you Tom! :)
Great pictures!
Fun fact! Rufous hummingbirds were used as “guinea pigs” in a 2005 Oregon State University study to determine the mechanics of hummingbird hovering. Using digital particle imaging velocimitry to capture the bird’s wing movements on film enabled the discovery that the hummingbird’s hovering is achieved due primarily to its wing’s downstroke, which accounts for 75% of its lift, rather than its upstroke.
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Thank you Mayra, Alice, and Mona. :)
awesome
Absolutely gorgeous! As many beautiful birds as we have in Australia i'm very jealous that we have no Hummingbirds!
Lovely!!
Thank you all! Yes I do feel very lucky. This was the first one to show up this year, and I happened to have my camera. :)
Great shots !
you are so lucky to see these. i have been waiting for these at the feeder. I saw a glimpse of this last year.
Nice one !.