Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2004-36
| Common name: |
Anna's Hummingbird |
| Scientific name: | Calypte anna |
| Date: | 10/31/04 |
| Time: | 13:00 |
| Length of time observed: | Many times between 9:00 and 16:00 |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | Adult |
| Sex: | Male |
| Location: | 4537 Fortuna Way, Salt Lake City |
| County: | Salt Lake |
| Latilong: | 40:40:23N 111:47:37W |
| Elevation: | 5200ft |
| Distance to bird: | 3-10m |
| Optical equipment: | Binoculars (8x42), telescope (20-60x zoom) |
| Weather: | Snow (3-4 inches on ground) |
| Light Conditions: | Overcast |
| Detailed description of bird: | Stocky hummingbird, greyish breast, short straight bill, tail longer than wings. Flash of red on crown and throat as head turned from side to side. Small white patch immediately behind eye with dark red patch further behind that. Lower edge of red chin curved downwards at the corners, scalloped edge to chin marking. Majority of chin red, but some patchy white immediately below the bill. Based on photos taken of bird on feeder (the flower is 2.5 inches in diameter) the head to tail measurement is 3 inches, and the beak is 0.7 inches. (see photos | drawings and notes) |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | Call - sharp tzip |
| Behavior: | Perching at two vantage points on mid-level branches whilst scanning the area. At feeders, perching to feed. |
| Habitat: | Wooded suburban garden, some scrub oak and a cottonwood tree. |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
Red on crown distinguishes it from all other regular feeders in garden - black chinned, broad tailed and rufous. Stockier than black chinned and no tail waggle observed. When it flew there was no broadtail wing noise. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
No experience of Anna's. Very familiar with Broadtail, Black chinned and rufous which regularly pass through our garden in the summer. |
| References consulted: |
Sibley's Field Guide. Peterson's Hummingbirds of North America. |
| Description from: | Notes taken at time of sighting |
| Observer: | Tim Hicks |
| Observer's address: | 4537 Fortuna Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84124 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | timhicks99@hotmail.com |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | Helen Hicks |
| Date prepared: | 10/31/04 (General Public) |
| Additional material: | Photos $ drawings and notes |
| Additional comments: | Having been out of town for 10 days (but we left the hummingbird feeders full), we returned in mid October expecting all the hummingbirds to have departed. Saw a hummingbird a few times at feeder from October 20th onwards. Finally realised we were seeing the same bird and were alerted to the possibility that it wasn't one of our regular birds by the whistling, buzzing, chirping song which was nothing like we've ever heard from the black chinned, broad tailed and rufous hummingbirds that we usually get. The call sounded similar to that on the Peterson Western Birding by Ear CD - we're still trying to get a recording but it is currently only making a general hummingbird chipping call! |