FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Rufous Hummingbird in Nashville

[chris.sloan@xxxxxxxxxxx]

This morning, Portia Macmillan and I kicked off our "winter" hummingbird 
banding in grand fashion by banding the previously-reported adult male Rufous 
Hummingbird that showed up yesterday at Frank and Bonnie Fekel's home in west 
Nashville.  It took us less than 90 seconds to trap this feisty little guy.  
The bird appeared to be in excellent health.  It had zero fat and has not yet 
commenced its pre-basic molt.  Typically, these early season adult males do not 
stay very long, so I expect this guy's visit to be short-lived.  I tried to 
point him towards my house (only a couple of miles away) when we released him, 
but alas he seems smitten with the Fekel's river-side oasis.
Each year, we receive one or two reports of adult male Rufouses in Tennessee in 
August and September; after that, the bulk of our western hummer reports do not 
surface until mid to late October.  In my opinion, immature and female Rufouses 
are passing through Tennessee in small numbers beginning in mid-August, but 
they are not detected among the hordes of Ruby-throats.  The surge in reports 
in mid to late October coincides nicely with the departure of said Ruby-throat 
hordes.  Over the past couple of years, we have begun to accumulate a little 
bit of empirical evidence to support that hypothesis, but I strongly urge all 
of you to look very carefully at your hummingbirds this time of year - you may 
find a surprise waiting for you!  (Note:  be aware that some Ruby-throats 
exhibit buffy flanks, which can initially cause them to appear to be 
Rufous-types.  When in doubt, check the tail - Rufous-types always have 
significant orange in the tail feathers, and Ruby-throats never do.)
regards,
--
Chris Sloan
chris.sloan@xxxxxxxxxxx
Nashville, TN
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