ML645458166

Dettagli dell'osservazione

Hatch-year male banded. First Observed on 16 November 2025. Photos. The hatch-year male near Somerset mostly had characters of Rufous. The tail feathers were of mixed ages, with the right r3, r4, and r5 adult-types (no white spots on the tips), probably the result of an adventitious "molt" earlier this fall (escape from a predator can cause this). The measurements of the juvenile-type r1 and r5 (left side) and shape of r2 are all consistent with Rufous. Back color is also mostly rufous so not consistent with Allen's. Only the measured width of the adult-type r5 was within range of Allen's (barely) according to one reference. So, in my opinion, there could be a 5% chance it is a hybrid Rufous X Allen's. My measurement could have been a little off (the bird was very squirmy). There is no chance it is a pure Allen's. I have been collecting tail feathers (two) from these hummingbirds for a project I'm collaborating with at Colorado State University. It is called the Bird Genoscape project. It might be possible to determine the origins of these hummingbirds that wander to Ohio, and of course if this one is a hybrid that might be determined also. But it could be a couple years or more before they get to my samples. There is no reason at this time to consider this bird anything but a Rufous Hummingbird.