That's really neat! Everything I have read on hummers indicates that Florida receives more than just Rubys.

Last year, I saw a brownish-green hummer several times. I swear it was an Allens. And -- no -- it was not that stupid moth that looks like a hummer. It was a hummer.

Thanks for posting. Hummers are my favorite little creatures and are just fascinating.

Mboston -

Post your video if you can. I'd love to see your birds. Mine have not arrived as of yet.

Geez...what the heck is Mr. Miziaszek growing in his yard? He has the yard that attracts all the rare bird species! Lucky!

According to Birds of Florida (Pranty, Radamaker & Kennedy, pub 2006) which is pretty much the definitive Florida birding book:

"Ten species have been recorded in Florida, but only the Ruby-throated hummingbird breeds here."

The black-chinned is listed as a "rare to locally uncommon" winter visitor to the northern half of the peninsula. (It's gone long before breeding time, and not very common even in the winter).

Rufous hummingbirds are listed as "rare but regular" winter visitors primarily in northern Florida, but also occuring occasionally as far south as Miami. They do not breed here, either.

And those are the only 2 hummingbird winter visitors that have any regularity in the state, though it is known that a few other types have been noted in south Florida, thought to be aviary escapees, etc.

The Calliope hummingbird is a bird of the northwestern US (Oregon, Washington) and Canada; and the Allen's hummingbird has the narrowest range of all of these. They are found in a very narrow band of along the extreme western edge of California, and aren't even seen in the center of that state. For either of these birds to be spotted here means they were somehow WAY off course. They do not breed here and thus, are not counted as Florida hummingbirds.

It is quite rare to even see anything other than a Ruby-throat, but folks do get lucky at times and see some stray bird now and then. But for someone to have Black-chinned, calliope and Allen's in their yard is extremely unusual, to say the least. Not casting aspersions on this guy, just wondering how that could happen.

Perhaps he has such a large population of resident ruby-throats that any stray hummers of other species are drawn in, too? I don't know. But "receiving more than just rubies" has never been in question, since it is known that the occasional stray does show up. Still, the ruby-throat is the only native hummer that breeds here as a normal routine. Escapees don't count, except as fun things to have spotted. And the casual strays don't breed here.

Hope that explains it a bit better. I need to get my hummingbird feeder back out there. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to see some of these lost travelers one day, too.

Marcia

It says in the article that all three of these rare finds here have been after unusual weather happenings such as this last cold spell.

I just joined Photobucket so with some help from my son or hubby, I will try to post either my picture or the video or both.

Interesting, mb. It seems to me that a lot of the rare or unusual bird sightings (with other species than hummers) occur after storms or other weather events, too. I just read the other day that birds don't get "blown off course," but I find that hard to believe. When there's a severe storm and the beaches are covered with birds that don't usually appear there, it makes you think that entire flocks can be either blown off course, or at least interrupted in their journey from Point A to Point B.

It's all interconnected one way or the other, I think.

You'll enjoy posting from Photobucket. It's easy, really.

Good luck!

Marcia

Help Marcia! I uploaded two pictures but my page doesn't look anything like the one Solstice shows on her direction page in the Conversation Forum. I don't see where it shows the HTML option. Any help would be appreciated!

Sorry, mb...I wasn't around earlier. I've had a long evening, trying to get used to how quiet the house is again now that Erin & Myres have gone back home. But I see you figured it out...great pics!! Gorgeous guy!! I've GOT to take care of all my feeders THIS WEEK. I don't want to miss the early birds. (hahaha)

Thanks for sharing!

Marcia

Hi Mary- We were visiting Sue & Mike last weekend. Saw the article in the Lakeland Ledger. Your area got hit hard by the cold. Hope to see you next time we get up there.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20090125/NEWS/901250341

Beverly

I'm enjoying my hummingbirds. They will leave at the end of Feb. I in no way would be able to identify what kind I have any more than I could tell you what "blue" butterfly is racing around my plumbagos. Lets just say it a Ruby. As soon as I hear it's sound I stop dead in my tracks and try to focus on finding the hummer. My neighbors must think I'm NUTS!!!!

I haven't heard any sounds yet. I do know that it is so easy to see it when it flies up in the Crepe Myrtle but I can see how hard it would be if there were leaves on the tree! I hope it hangs around a few more weeks. I called the newspaper, trying to reach the guy who saw the Allen's hummer but his home phone is unlisted. I did find out that he lives in the Christina area, which is just south of us.

MB, hummers make a fairly loud humming sound with their wings when they fly (hence the name), but it is often mistaken for a buzzing insect of some sort. When you see one nearby, zipping from plant to plant, listen closely and see if you can detect it. It's pretty cool to think their wings are moving fast enough to produce a noise like that.

They also have a little chittering squeaky sound they make when they are being territorial, and at other times. I've heard this several times, but usually only from birds that have hung around my area for awhile and have decided it is "their" spot. The males can be very aggressive towards each other, staging swoopingly acrobatic aerial displays as they fight for a feeder or plant.

They are so beautiful, and so interesting. No matter how many times I've seen them, I, too, freeze to watch them whenever they show up. Sometimes they fly away and I realize I've been holding my breath the whole time! You can't help it, can you? Such miraculous little guys. And if you think they look small flitting around in your garden, you should hold one in the palm of your hand. Unbelievable!!

For your viewing pleasure:

Rufous Hummingbird (the visitor most likely to be seen in winter):

The Allen's hummingbird(frankly, I don't know how anyone can even tell the difference between this one and the rufous...I'll have to research that):

The black-chinned hummingbird (easier to tell from a ruby-throated, for sure):

And the calliope, said to be the smallest bird in the U.S.:

Marcia

I want to see a calliope! Maybe some day...

I went to see the Allen's Hummer today. Joe has had a continual stream of "Birding" people visit over the last few days to photograph the little guy. And WOW did he put on a show. I was there for about an hour and every few minutes he would come land on a dry stem of Red Shrimp Plant which was just behind the feeder. Then he would come down to drink and disappear for a few minutes. Then he would land on the stem again and sit there flashing his throat at us and sometimes flying up to catch a bug. I took my video camera but couldn't get a good shot as it was overcast. But the people with the HUGH cameras and BIG lens got great shots. Looking through their viewfinders, you could see the blusih purple on the top of his wings. Really pretty.

Joe said he has about a half dozen Ruby throated hummers that hang around. One would try to come nectar in the same feeder as the Allen and the Allen's would drive him away. It has pretty much taken over that side of the yard and Joe has had to get additional feeders for the others.

Sunday Fred Bassett will come to catch and band the bird. He was the one to do the same with the Calliope in 1996 and Black chinned in 2004.

Joe is supposed to send me some pictures by email and I will post them when he does.

Really looking forward to seeing those, mb! Thanks for the report. Did he tell you, by any chance, the easiest way to tell the Allen's from the Rufous? Oh...I just answered my own question. According to Pranty's book on Florida hummers, "rufous hummingbirds and Allen's cannot be reliably distinguished in the field." They will have to net the bird to be 100% sure, it would seem. According to my National Geographic bird book, the Allen's usually has a solid green back, and the rufous a back marked with green (but occasionally solid green, too). And then sometimes the Allen's doesn't have the solid green back. ??? Looking at the pictures in the book, I can't honestly see any other differences.

I'm guessing that they are calling this one an Allen's because it has the solid green back? Maybe they explained? But if sometimes the rufous does, too, how would I be able to tell if I were ever lucky enough to have either one in my yard?

Again, I'm NOT disputing this, just trying to learn.

Can't wait to see the pics.

Marcia

I read in the article that they decided it was an Allen's rather than a rufous because the feathers were shaped differently. I wish they had been more specific. Us birders need to know what to look for, and nothing I can find is very specific on this point. I hope maybe they told you more when you were there, mb???

Marcia

I guess it is the tail that tells the tale! HA! I don't exactly how but according to my Peterson Field Guide,"Black tipped rufous tail long, pointed feathers becoming progressively narrower from inner to outer pairs. R5 extremely narrow and stiletto-like R2 tapers smoothly to sharp point. In the rufous, my book says the same thing except that "R5 is narrow and knifelike, R2 is distinctly notched on the inner web near tip."

You are correct in that it says the females and immature males are virtually indistinguishable from the Rufuous.

He has closeups of the tail in the newspaper article.
This guy has been "humming" for a long time now, both here and up north in the summer. Will have to wait and see if the guy catches it on Sunday. I certainly don't know anything about hummers except that I have a male Ruby in my yard!

Heck, I wasn't even worrying about females or immatures. I doubt those could be told apart by even experts.

Pranty's book and Nat Geo indicate that the only difference between the two species is that the Allen's "usually" has a solid green back, but that the back coloration on the rufous can occasionally be solid green, too. So if you can't see feather shapes for confirmation, there is no way to reliably tell for SURE which is which, though a solid green back would certainly lead you to believe it more likely to be an Allen's. Even their calls and whistles are identical! Imagine! Why don't they just MERGE and be one bird???

This guy in Lakeland is obviously extremely knowledgeable and has experts coming to double check and triple check and thoroughly verify his find, the way the hardcore birders like to do. So I'm not doubting their call. I'm just doubting if I will ever know for sure if I spot one whether it is the more likely rufous, or the very rare (for Florida) Allen's. *sniff...how frustrating!*

Luckily, if I ever spot a Calliope or a Black-chinned, it will be easy to ID. I'll have to leave the Allen's to the real ornithologists and their friends, I guess.

Marcia (Still wishing I could figure out a sure-fire way to tell)