Is it our resident male ruby-throated hummingbird, a juvenile male or a female intruder? I can't tell.
I’m not bored with the hummingbird at our feeder, but he does come often enough that I’m starting to take him for granted. My husband calls out, “Hummingbird.” Sometimes, I don’t look up. I should. The hummingbird will be leaving soon, and I’ll miss him.
Sometime in mid- to late September, most ruby-throated hummingbirds will begin a long journey, including a nonstop flight over the gulf to southern Mexico for the winter.
Is it a male or female ruby-throated hummingbird? I'm guessing it's a young male, taking his time at the feeder, daring the older resident male to run him off. What do you think?
Another hummingbird has dashed in for drinks now and then, but it’s not a friendly cocktail party here. The cock chases the tail of the intruder. It’s one hummingbird to a territory! I took some photographs this week of what may be a new hummingbird. It didn’t look like our resident ruby-throated hummingbird. In the photograph, I don’t see any red at the throat, which is the sign of the male, so it might be an invading female. Or it could be a juvenile male that doesn’t yet have a red neck. The females have a rounded tail with white tips, the male’s tail is forked with no white. The males and females meet up for mating, but after that they don’t get along. Both males and females have beautiful iridescent blue green backs.
My previous post on “our” hummingbird is here.
Catherine Sherman 