photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Tom Grey | all galleries >> Galleries >> Miscellany > Selasphorus Hummingbird, female
previous | next
28-APR-2014 Tom Grey

Selasphorus Hummingbird, female

Ed Levin Park

Here's a picture that shows the dark spot in the center of the gorget that means the bird is an adult female; it also shows the tail feathers. There are two differentiating features between Allen's and Rufous, both involving the tail feathers.

First, R2, the second rectrix or tail feather out from the center, is mostly symmetrically spear-shaped (lanceolate) in Allen's, while in Rufous it is asymmetrical, with a notch in the tip. See the illustration at http://www.pbase.com/tgrey/image/95431365 .

Second, the two outermost tail feathers, R4 and R5, are very slender in Allen's, relatively wider in Rufous. See illustration at http://www.pbase.com/tgrey/image/95431056 .

Neither of these criteria is really decisive here. R2 looks lanceleolate to me, but the angle isn't straight on, and you can't really tell. R5 looks slender, but again the angle is such that you can't really say with confidence that it's too slender to be a Rufous.

So, as with many adult female Selasphorus hummingbirds, we have to leave this one unspecified; it could be either Rufous or Allen's.

Canon EOS-1D X ,Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM
1/3200s f/5.6 at 700.0mm iso1600 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time28-Apr-2014 07:35:18
MakeCanon
ModelCanon EOS-1D X
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length700 mm
Exposure Time1/3333 sec
Aperturef/5.6
ISO Equivalent1600
Exposure Bias1.38
White Balance
Metering Mode
JPEG Quality
Exposure Program
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto
comment | share