SPECIES: Anna’s Hummingbird

DATE OF SIGHTING: 9/15/06 for me. Although Stephen Augustine, the home owner and discoverer of the bird, observed the bird until 9/18/06 and estimates that the bird was there since 9/1/06. He saw no hummingbirds in late August and then only one individual from September 1 onwards.

Mike Haldeman

2501 E. Sherman Ave. #35

Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814

208.818.7879

OTHER OBSERVERS: Stephen Augustine and his family had many great views of the birds and took some excellent photos.

DATE REPORT PREPARED: November 20, 2006 from notes taken on the date of observation.

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: Stephen Augustine’s home on the east side of Ponderay, Bonner County

HABITAT: Suburban neighborhood with plentiful shrubbery and small trees.

SIGHTING DURATION, CONDITIONS, & EQUIPMENT USED: In the approximately one hour I was there I saw the bird twice for about one minute each time. Stephen had many such encounters over the bird’s stay. The day I saw the bird was mostly sunny. I only watched the bird with binoculars (Leica) while Stephen took photos. (I’m not sure what camera he used, but it was much better than mine.)

DID YOU TAKE NOTES/CONSULT A FIELD GUIDE? I took notes after each of the two separate minute-long observations and consulted NGS and Sibley between and after the two sightings.

DESCRIPTION: The hummingbird had a white line over the eye that extended behind the eye and dissipated as it continued down the side of the head. The line was thick over the eye becoming thinner just beyond the eye and was no longer discernible at the neck. The bill was straight and all black (no pale or reddish coloration even on the base of the lower mandible.) The throat was spotted gray with red flecks in the center, forming an almost solid red patch in the center of the throat when seen in good light. The underparts had very diffuse grayish spotting throughout becoming denser and greener toward the sides. There was no buffy or rufous coloration anywhere on the underparts. The back and the back of the head were completely green as were the central tail feathers. The tail corners were white and I saw no rufous coloring in the tail in several decent (but quick) views of the spread tail while the bird maneuvered. I saw no rufous or buffy coloration anywhere on the bird.

BEHAVIOR: The bird darted around quickly in typical hummingbird fashion. The tail was held down, more or less in line with the body. The tail was not cocked nor was there any tail pumping or flicking. The bird gave a sharp "tik" note several times during each of the two visits I witnessed – no other sounds were noticed.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY ID THE BIRD AND WHAT CLINCHED THE ID FOR YOU? Before I saw the bird Stephen had already shown me Stacy Peterson’s email stating that the bird was an Anna’s Hummingbird, most likely adult female. When I saw the bird for myself, seeing the red flecks forming a patch in the center of the throat and the grayish underparts becoming green on the sides and no rufous in the plumage clinched the ID.

HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE OTHER SPECIES? The only congener of Anna’s Hummingbird, Costa’s Hummingbird, has a violet gorget so would not have red on the throat. Costa’s Hummingbird is also much whiter below and has a slightly curved bill. The Archilochus hummingbirds are similar, but the more likely Black-chinned Hummingbird wouldn’t have red on the throat. Neither Black-chinned nor Ruby-throated shows the strong white line over the eye. They each have a small white spot behind the eye that doesn’t extend as far behind the eye. And both Archilochus show a buffy wash to the flanks which this bird did not have. Those two species also tend to pump their tails, especially Black-chinned, and they have different call notes. Our three Selasphorus hummingbirds and Calliope Hummingbird all show extensive rufous or buffy below with at least some of this coloration in the tail (although not much in Calliope.) None of these birds show the same eyeline pattern for the bird described here. The completely black bill and red on the throat with a lack of rufous or buffy coloration should eliminate almost all other US hummingbirds. Plain-capped Starthroat’s strong facial pattern and white patches on rump and flanks as well as its great size make confusion unlikely.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS (AND SIMILAR) SPECIES? I lived in southern California for a year where this is by far the most common hummingbird. I spent as much time in southern Arizona where this bird is becoming more common every year. The pattern on the throat and the dingy underparts are what I would expect for a female Anna’s Hummingbird and I wouldn’t have given this bird a second glance in CA or AZ. Living in those areas and throughout the Lower 48 also gave me experience with the similar species mentioned above.

DESCIBE YOUR GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: I have been birding seriously, at times fanatically, since 1992. That time has been spread throughout the Lower 48 states with a strong bias on the southwest. I’ve also spent over two years birding abroad, mostly in South and Central America but a little on each of the habitable continents.