UNUSUAL HUMMINGBIRD FOR IDAHO

ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD -- Calypte anna

14 October (perhaps early September) - 16 December 2005, Eagle, Ada County

While not an unheard of hummingbird in Idaho, Anna's certainly is deserving of attention in this state. On the official Birds of Idaho Field Checklist, Anna's Hummingbird is listed as rare and local statewide during migration. There are typically two or three reports per year (and I personally suspect a much larger number goes unreported). The origin of these birds is uncertain, but it is thought that fall sightings may be wanderers from breeding sites in the Pacific Northwest, perhaps Seattle, WA or Vancouver, BC.

This bird was one of the longest remaining birds on record in the state, present at least 14 October through 16 December 2005 at the home of Julie Lokken in Eagle, Ada County. Greg Wardwell was able to band and document this bird on 16 October 2005.

Julie reports this bird may have been present since early September, as a remaining hummingbird(s) was the reason she kept the feeder going. She contacted us through this website on 14 October and invited us to document her bird through banding. A photo she submitted at that time suggested Anna's Hummingbird, and of course the late date also suggests this may be something "interesting." Greg Wardwell was able to band and document her bird on 16 October. It remained two more months at a heated feeder (see photo at right; © 2005 Julie Lokken). This species can breed very early in parts of it's "normal" breeding range, so a mid December departure is right in line with a wandering bird returning to it's breeding grounds. By banding these birds, we may be able to determine if these birds return again to Idaho as wanderers. We rely on hosts as willing as Julie to share their birds with us.

IDENTIFICATION: The bird was conclusively identified in hand as an Anna's Hummingbird by larger size, iridescent magenta feathers on central throat, greenish blotchy chest, distinctive wing and tail feather shapes and molt sequence. Calypte hummingbirds (Anna's and Costa's) molt in the fall, while our normal resident or migratory species (Rufous/Broad-tailed/Black-chinned/Calliope) molt on the winter grounds. This bird was molting wing feathers -- it appeared that the three innermost secondaries (s1-3) were new (darker) while the remaining wing feathers, with the exception of the outer two (p9,10) were old (tan). The inner secondaries were "adult" shaped at the tips, which doesn't help much with conclusive aging at this stage (it could be an immature bird just having molted into adult inner secondaries).

AGE: Sometimes Anna's Hummingbirds can be aged by the shape of the tips of the inner secondaries (double concave in adults and double convex in immatures), but at this time of year, a bird having "adult" secondaries cannot conclusively be aged -- it could be an immature bird just having molted into adult inner secondaries. The amount of colored feathers on the throat sure suggest adult, especially for a female. Immature females will typically contain only a few iridescent feathers centrally, if any. However, while we are fairly positive that this bird is an adult female, it is safest at this time of year to just call it a female of "unknown" age.

SEX: It was sexed as a female by the presence of white tipped outer tail feathers and the extensive presence of iridescent magenta feathers centered on the throat. Many female Anna's may show extensive "color" on the crown as well, and of course immature males will, too. But at this time of year, the extensive color centered on the throat and the complete absence of iridescent feathers anywhere else on the head suggests that this is a female. Furthmore, the white tips to the outer tail feathers without "invasion" of the white by black spikes along the rachis further support sexing this bird as a female. Compare all this with the immature male Anna's banded by Greg just a few days later in Cassia County.

This was the first Anna's that Greg banded in Idaho, about the 10th Ada County record, the third banded in that county, and the second banded in the town of Eagle in the past two years. This was also one of only three Anna's reported in Idaho during 2005 (two were banded), and about the 33rd record for the state.

PHOTOS (all © 2005 Greg W. Wardwell)

Figure 1. The significant cluster of iridescent gorget feathers largely centered along the midline of the throat is consistent with adult females of many hummingbirds. Many observers will mistakenly determine such birds to be immature males. However, immature males will usually "throw" some iridescent gorget feathers laterally on the throat, and their throats lack the centrally clustered appearance of these pretty females. Immature females generally do not have this extensive amount of "color" on the throat, but because of the widely varied breeding season of this species, and the resulting differences in molt schedule, it is generally accepted to be safter to officially recorded female Anna's at this time of year as "age unknown" unless specific information exists to the contrary.	Figure 2. It appears that the outer two wing feathers are newer, contrastingly dark compared to the adjacent browner feathers. The three inner secondaries were also darker / newer like this. Note that the large white-tip to the outer most tail feather at the top of the photo (the bird's anatomic left) does NOT have a dark streak extending toward the tip along the rachis. The presence of a black "spike" extending into the white along the rachis indicates an immature male; absence indicates female.
	MEASUREMENTS in hand: Exposed culmen: 17.80 mm. Wing cord: 45 mm. Tail length: 29 mm. Mass: 4.3 grams. Fat score: 2 on scale of 0-4.
Figure 3. The dorsal view of the tail feather shows a very small black "spike" extending into the white along the rachis on the outermost feather (the bird's anatomic right). The extent of this spike on this particular tail feather is not nearly significant enough to suggest male, especially given all the other clues that support sexing the bird as female.