Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Anna's Hummingbird
Scientific name:	Calypte anna
Date:	11/03/2025
Time:	2:01 PM
Length of time observed:	20 seconds
Number:	1
Age:	Unknown
Sex:	Male
Location:	6062 Heughs Canyon Court, Holladay, Utah, 84121
County:	Salt Lake
Latilong:	40.64089441158282, -111.7987622039461
Elevation:	4,863 ft
Distance to bird:	5'
Optical equipment:	Digital camera and telephoto lens
Weather:	Clear, sunny, cloudless skies; warm, comfortable, autumn temperatures
Light Conditions:	Sunny, direct
Description: Size of bird:	Very small, but about averaged sized, as far as hummingbirds are concerned.
(Description:) Basic Shape:	Generic hummingbird shape; as far as I could make out, he didn't appear any noticeably stockier than BCHUs, like some literature describes.
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	Metallic green and white.
(Description:) Bill Type:	Straight, long, and slender; perhaps the slightest hint of a downturn at the tip, or at the very least, a pronounced taper.
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	An average-sized hummingbird who made a fleeting visit to our home feeders. Distinct dark gorget and black patch of feathers beneath auriculars. Predominantly a metallic green and white in color; no rusty-red colors discernible. Clear, thin, white supercilium marking continuing to a white dot behind the subject bird's eye. The bill is long, nearly perfectly straight and slender, tapering to a sharp point. I wouldn't say the bill is oversized, around the same length as the subject bird's head. (see photos)
Song or call & method of delivery:	Sound was obfuscated by closed windows; songs, calls, and other noises were unable to be heard, if made.
Behavior:	Briefly drinking sugar water on our home feeders. First observed as a small shadow through a closed window blind.
Habitat:	Urban/suburban. Home nectar feeders.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	In all honesty, this would have slipped through the cracks as a misidentified and misreported BCHU had it not been for Max Malmquist's interception. Upon further, retroactive, inspection of my photos, and mostly for my own academic benefit, here are similar hummingbird species found nearby, and how I should have eliminated them from consideration. Black-chinned Hummingbird: Distinct gorget markings and a shorter bill than expected on BCHU, which is typically longer than its head. The subject bird's bill was around the same size, or perhaps even slightly shorter, than its head. Overall coloration would be roughly the same between these two species. Broad-tailed Hummingbird: No ruddy-redish color noticeable on the flanks. The subject bird appeared entirely metallic green and white. Male BTHUs also seem to typically lack the distinct, thin, white supercilium observed on the subject bird. Rufous Hummingbird: Similar reasons for elimination as BTHU. The subject bird lacked any trace of auburn coloration on flanks or tail feathers; you'd expect the same oxidized red color for the male RUHU supercilium, not the thin white one clearly seen on the subject bird. Calliope Hummingbird: I've yet to see a CAHU in person, but the subject bird was far too large; from what I've read, CAHUs are comparable to a ping-pong ball in size, especially while in their typically described hunched posture.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	ANHUs are very common visitors to my Mother-in-Law's feeders at her home in the San Francisco Bay area. We've seen them there while visiting her on a number of occasions. BCHUs are the most common visitors to our home feeders here in Utah. We've seen BTHUs and RUHUs at higher elevations up in the canyons. I don't have any personal experience with CAHUs yet.
References consulted:	Max Malmquist reached out about my eBird report and attached photos, in which I had incorrectly identified this hummingbird as a BCHU. All About Birds, field guides, Macaulay Library photos, and personal photos were referenced for this report form.
Description from:	From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	Ethan Eisenbarth
Observer's address:	6062 Heughs Canyon Court
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	No other observers were immediately available.
Date prepared:	11/03/2025
Additional material:	Photos
Additional comments:	Will email the photos I was able to take.