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The Allen's hummingbird ( Selasphorus
sasin ) is more timid than Anna's
hummingbird. Since I placed
a second feeder on the other side of the house so that the male Anna's
hummingbird could not guard both feeders at the same time, Allen's
hummingbirds visit as frequent as the Anna's.
This is a male
Allen's hummingbird. Each time he dips his bill
into the "flower", he folds his wings. As he pulls it out
he starts his wings going, as shown here. Even though he remains
firmly set on the perch.
When the
lighting is right, and he looks at you, you will see the
male's throat flash red. The picture doesn't do it justice.
It is a brilliant flash.
This shows the
colors of the male Allen's hummingbird better. Note that at this
angle his throat looks black. It can be difficult to distinguish
between the Allen's and the rufus
hummingbirds. Having observed the same individuals repeatedly
I am confident of my identifications.
This is a female
at the feeder. She does not have the red throat.
One occasion as I watched, a fledgling perched on a nearby
branch. The female tanked up at the feeder, then hovered above
the little one to feed it. (I think they always check to make
sure that I don't have the camera ready before unusual activities.)
[Taxonomy
: Classification]
[Birds] [ Back Yard Biology]
[ Science
Can Be Fun]
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