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Utah Bird Records Committee |
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Date:
18 Jun 2026
Hello Everyone,
I’m e-mailing the substance of my 2026-23 Costa’s Hummingbird second round
vote comments because I want to share a reference with figures, but I don’t
know how to include the figures in my comments on the web submittal form. So
here are my thoughts, and I’ll paraphrase when I submit my vote to the web
site.
Identification Guide to North American Birds by Peter Pyle, Pt 1,
establishes that second-year male Calypte hummingbirds can possibly have
spotty crowns and gorgets with reduced lateral feather extensions in this
excerpt on p. 143, with the figures referred to in the text pasted below:
SY (male symbol) (Apr
– Oct): Like U/AHY (male symbol),
but gorget and/or iridescent feathering of crown incomplete, especially in the
hindcrown (Fig. 104), some feathers partially dusky or greenish, and with the
“tails” of the throat less elongated (Fig. 99G).
Fig. 104
Fig 99G.
Bryant's and Kevin's concerns about hybridization are understandable because
the record hummingbird looks atypical. This reference establishes for me
that the appearance of the record bird is possible for a Costa’s Hummingbird
and not necessarily attributable to hybridization. In addition, other
features that show in the photos are more Costa’s-like than either of the
possible hybrid parents mentioned, include a vest more green than gray and
the R5 shape with a better match in comparison to the other tail feathers
than what Black-chinned or Anna’s show. The only feature that isn’t great
for a Costa’s that I see is a tail a smidge longer than I would expect in
comparison to the wing tip length. That, alone, is not enough for me not to
accept the record.
Pyle, Pt 1, was very likely used as the reference guide when the crew netted the bird a few days after this record was filed, and helped them age, sex and ID the bird as an SY male Costa’s. This additional validation would not have been included in the record itself since the capture occurred after the record was filed. We have that info because Milt gathered it for us from an eBird checklist.
Kris
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