Orange-throated Hummingbird! - 11 Aug 2017

The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been active in the yard the past few days. One particular male has been kind of a dick to the other birds in the yard, so I haven't felt too badly about calling him in with the recorded calls. It has given me the opportunity to get some point-blank digiscoping from inside the house.

Four days ago (7 August) he was molting pretty heavily. I posted a pic to the Hummingbird Photography Facebook page and got confirmation from Sheri L. Williamson that it indeed was an adult male molting. The orange-tinged gorget feathers were noted and she kindly included a link to her article about feather wear being responsible for the color shift from ruby-red.

This evening I had the opportunity to photograph a pair of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and realized that one was a juvenile male (a single red gorget feather on the throat) while the other was a full-grown male showing no hint of pin-feather molt. A third bird?  Image captures indicated that its gorget feathers were glowing orange, and not ruby red, so it may have been a specimen that I've been looking for ever since I started studying the red gorget feathers at work about 4 years ago.

If only I could get a barbule or two from this guy...

"bored now"

Brownton Abbey, 26340 Higgins Way, Wayne, Michigan, US
Aug 11, 2017 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments:     Yard
1 species

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S161103700

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)