CLOSED: What species of Hummer?

I posted a thread on the Butterfly and Hummingbird forum:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/805480/

Pelle thought it might be a female Ruby-throat and others have told me they thought it might be a Rufous Hummer. Since I am new to hummers ... this is my very first one ... can someone post a link to a website that shows what the females look like or a photo of a hummer that looks very much like mine? I would sure appreciate it. There is no red on it's throat even now.

I have NOT been able to get a photo of it, only video. I don't know how the rest of you get photos of these quick tiny birds! The video is the only proof I have that I have one coming to my yard. And it is still here. Apparently, it's either a resident bird or is overwintering here.

LOL, that frog cracks me up everytime! Looks like pop goes the weasel.!

A lot of Ruby-throateds have rufous color on their flanks.

I'll D mail you something. :-)

Can you post some pics of it? My computer is too old to run the video.

Resin

Pelle - Thanks for your d-mail. If you run across a photo of a female Ruby-throat, please post the link here. I'd so appreciate it.

Resin - I wish I HAD a photo of my bird. I've had no luck whatsoever trying to photograph it. I was able to get the video because I set the camcorder up on a tripod and let it run. The minute the bird sees me outside, it takes off. I can only view it from the window or on video.

I've got a picture of a female Red Throat Hummer. The females are slightly larger than the males, plus they have white at the very end of their tail feathers, if I'm not mistaken.

Maybe run the video, pause it (or even select frame-by-frame to find the best), then do a printscreen?

Resin

I found this page, which I have seen before, but I guess didn't look at it closely enough. On this popular website:

http://www.rubythroat.org/RTHUExternalMain.html

you will see photos of the female and male Ruby-throats. What caught my eye is the white tips on the tail feathers. That is what is showing in my video as well. It is possible it is a young male. Which might explain it's shyness. Older birds that use feeders aren't usually as shy from what I have been told. Of course, maybe it is a young female.

I am also wondering if it is a resident bird or if it will migrate in Spring or Summer. I have been told the hummers show up in Spring and Fall here in Florida (if they are migrants). I first noticed this bird in late November and it has been here ever since. I have also been told that many hummers are year-round residents. I will be watching to see what this bird does over the next few months.

This message was edited Jan 26, 2008 6:26 PM

Heres a female; see the all white throat?

Felicia - I was posting at the same time as you. We were both looking at the tail feathers! LOL! How funny that we were doing that at the same time!! :-D

Resin - The program that I use to edit the video will not let me do a screen print. But I will look at some other ways to stop and save a frame of video. I would love to get a photo of this bird to be able to take a closer look. I wish I could just get a photo of it perching on the feeder.

Heres another pic. The one on the right is an immature male w/ the dots on his throat.

OK thanks! . . . good luck with the pics!

Resin

Pelle - I keep looking at the slow motion part of the video. It looks like the throat isn't pure white but with some brown flecks in it. So I am now leaning towards a young male Ruby-throat. Thanks for posting your awesome photos for me to look at for comparison. Very helpful, indeed! Thanks so much!!!

That would be a mother and son, otherwise they'd never be at the feeder at the same time. Right, Pelle?

LOL, your not really going to put me on the spot like that; are you indy?

Theres no way I would be able to know if she was his mother. :-))

Let me go through my pics I'm pretty sure I have 2 males together on the same feeder.

LOL Pelle!!
I can never get two ruby throated hummers on the same feeder because all heck will break loose! Now, when the adult males have already migrated, once in a while I'll see the feeder being shared.

LOL!

Here is an interesting article about south Florida migrants:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/News/HummingbirdsInWinter.htm

Which again is one of the reasons I thought my hummer might be something else besides a Ruby-throat. But everytime I look at the video, it does look very much like a young male RT.