Figure 1. This bird is superficially similar to a HY male Black-chinned, except that the face, nape, and flanks were surprisingly buff-toned. This bird is clearly a HY bird by the roughness to the bill and the tan feather edges on the crown and nape.
	Figure 2. Two emerging gorget feathers were a bit "off-color" for typical Black-chinned males. I find it nearly impossible to digitally photograph the purple on an adult male's gorget -- they always turn out blue. The fact that these feathers show fairly "true" lavendar/purple suggests that they are not typical Black-chinned feathers. The size and shape of these feathers provides good evidence that this is a male bird. HY female Black-chinneds rarely if ever show gorget feathers (this feature is exceedingly rare in my experience even on adult females of this species). Similarly, immature female Calliopes typically lack gorget feathers. Adult females often have several, but they are much smaller and clustered together near the center of the throat. The shape of this gorget is "wrong" for Calliope, as well.
	Figure 3. Another surprising feature is the shape of the retrices, a tinge of distinct rust on the basal edges of r2) , and the buffy rachis of r5. The spatulate shape to r1 (and r2 here) is a feature diagnostic of Calliope (Baltosser 1994). Basal rust on the retrices does not occur on pure Black-chinneds.
	Figure 4. The semi-spatulate shape of the central retrice (r1), again, suggests Calliope. The rust on r2 (and to a lesser extent r3 and r4) is visible here, too.
	Figure 5. The tawniness to the flanks (to this degree) is a feature of Calliope and Selasphorus hummingbirds. This appears somewhat intermediate between Calliope and Black-chinned in my experience.
	Figure 6. The shape of the tip of r6 in this photo is difficult to ascribe to any species. Given that this bird is a HY and has two distinctly large gorget feathers argues strongly that it's a male. Yet the shape of the outer vane at the tip of r6 does not suggest male Black-chinned -- it suggests female. Indeed, the lack of "notching" on the tips of the inner primaries is also counter-indicated for male Black-chinned (Baldridge 1983). Yet a hybrid would not be expected to show all features of one parentage or the other...

If you have information that supports or refutes the information posted above, I'm very interested in hearing what you have to say. Please write your thoughts to: SJPeterson@aol.com

Helpful Literature

Baldridge, F.A. 1983. Plumage characteristics of juvenile Black-chinned Hummingbirds. Condor 85:102-103.
Baltosser, W.H. 1994. Age and sex determination in the Calliope Hummingbird. Western Birds 25:104-109.
Grayes, G.R. 1990. Systematics of the "Green-throated Sunangels" (Aves: Trochilidae): Valid taxa or hybrids? Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 103:6-25.

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