Help-For bird-lovers: name of this ibird?

[shootingstar]

Maidei met up with some birds on Vancouver Island.

I don't know what the real name of this bird (http://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/an-idyllic-summer-escape-to-vancouver-island-for-maidei/)is. Please let me know and I will change the text. It was a real cutie, very small and somehow dearie managed to catch some valuable shots on his cheapo camera.

[azfiddle]

There are 2 species of hummingbird on Vancouver Island, Rufous and Anna's, according to a quick check I made.

I think it is a Rufous. The photo looks a bit overexposed but it looks like there is a little reddish there along the side and tail. Anna's is a bit more chunky, but I wouldn't bet my life on the id....

[PamNY]

That's a great photo of the tongue! I'll post this in the Hornby eagles forum -- they will know local bird IDs.

[salsabike]

That's a hummingbird for sure, and AZ is right--it's either rufous or Anna's. If it's a female, it's almost impossible to tell if it's rufous vs. Anna's.

http://hummingbirdworld.com/h/id.htm

[shootingstar]

I believe he also saw the other hummingbird type which was a flash of red near the feeder.

I did see some clear liquid dripping from its beak..which didn't get photographed for this little one.

This bird did not have any reddish markings that I could see at that time. Hope we get to the bottom of this mysterious identity so that I can change text from "flycatcher" to its real name.

[PamNY]

The photo looks very much like this juvenile Costa's hummingbird.

I don't know hummingbirds well but in many cases the youngsters have different coloration, making ID more challenging.

http://sdakotabirds.com/species_photos/costas_hummingbird_5.htm

[Velocivixen]

I think it's a female Anna's hummingbird. They live at my house year round (Portland, OR Metro) and so I get close up views of them all the time.

[shootingstar]

It does look closest to Anna's hummingbird. We were looking up at it and couldn't see the green sheen on its female back.

Amazing creatures, those hummingbirds. I didn't know that hummingbirds have the highest metabolic rate of all vertabraes! And a fast heartbeat.
http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Hummingbirds/Anna's_Hummingbird/Anna's_Hummingbird.htm

[Biciclista]

I think it's an Anna's too since you saw the male (flash of red) nearby. you can hear them BUZZ as they fly; no other birds do that.
now go fix your blog. fantastic photos!

[Trek420]

Hope we get to the bottom of this mysterious identity so that I can change text from "flycatcher" to its real name.

Also change the reason for his/her sticking the tongue out ;) Hummingbirds eat nectar only. So no "anticipation of an insect meal".

Perhaps he's sticking his tongue out because "I just got mistaken for a flycatcher. Oh the humiliation:p"

But still, nice shot and nice close up. You rarely catch them resting. :cool: :)

[shootingstar]

But..but somewhere I read some hummingbirds do eat insects. Or maybe it was burping on its nectar. We were watching there, posed on the wire for over 10 min.

Anyway, I did change the text on the blog post to its better namesake. :) Thanks to all, everyone here!

[Trek420]

Now this is a flycatcher. :) Photo taken by and courtesy of Duck on Wheels*. Titled "King of all I can see" this is a Western Kingbird, which is one of the tyrant flycatchers.

[Velocivixen]

Juvenile Anna's hummingbirds have similar coloring, or lack thereof. I think it's a female, perhaps a youth.

[yellow]

psst...Trek...that looks like a Pacific slope flycatcher. WEKIs (http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/DesJardin/WesternKingbird.html) are a bit more...stout. And usually show quite a bit of yellow. I have a cat named WEKI (although she is not yellow; I just like the name) :)

shootingstar, yes, hummingbirds do eat insects, especially during breeding season, but they snatch them out of the air with their bills.

[Trek420]

psst...Trek...that looks like a Pacific slope flycatcher. WEKIs (http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/DesJardin/WesternKingbird.html) are a bit more...stout. And usually show quite a bit of yellow. I have a cat named WEKI (although she is not yellow; I just like the name) :)


I'm getting these from my sibling, Duck on wheels. Some things might be lost in translation. Not in language but from her being pretty well versed in birds and my being ... well not so much.

But here's another of her pictures of flycatchers. This one's a Black Phoebe hard at work. They are listed among "Miscellaneous Flycatchers" in the Peterson Field Guide. They tend to perch on a twig looking every which-way for some little flying morsel, then fly out hovering low over water or grass to catch it, and often fly back to the same lookout post when they've made their catch.

[azfiddle]

Love the pic of the Black Phoebe, and I agree that the other flycatcher is most likely a Pacific Slope Flycatcher, but a tough id!

Female and immature Anna's can show small amounts of red on the throat. Female/immature rufuous would show at least some rufous (reddish) in the tail feathers).

I have been pretty lazy about birding since I've been either a) playing a lot of music or b) riding my bike a lot, but I do enjoy seeing and hearing birds when I ride or stop and have time to pay attention.

[yellow]

I'm getting these from my sibling, Duck on wheels. Some things might be lost in translation. Not in language but from her being pretty well versed in birds and my being ... well not so much.
If you hover over your attachment of the first flycatcher, the photo title says "pacific-slope-flycatcher". So she must have given you the wrong flycatcher picture for a WEKI!

Cool phoebe photo. You have Say's phoebes in Cali, too. They are really pretty birds. Oh, heck. Most birds are pretty.

My favorite flycatcher is the olive-sided. He sits in the top of a tree and says "quick THREE beers!" :p All over the west. Listen for him in the woods.

[Duck on Wheels]

Now this is a flycatcher. :) Photo taken by and courtesy of Duck on Wheels*. Titled "King of all I can see" this is a Western Kingbird, which is one of the tyrant flycatchers.

Nope. That is the Pacific Slope Flycatcher. I think the order of attachments relative to text just got a bit scrambled when I sent the email to Trek all of 10 feet across the room (of course, the email when all the way to Norway and back). Anyhoo ... The kingbird (also a flycatcher) is this one: