Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin), Backyard, Arizona Ave and Riggs Rd, Chandler, Maricopa County

This Allen's Hummingbird was photographed by Matt VanWallene on 11 August 2013. 

ID confirmed by Richard Hoyer, George West, and Kelly Bryan (Texas).

This is the first record for Maricopa County, although the difficulty of the ID means it is probably overlooked.  Rare but regular fall migrant in SE Arizona.

Kelly Bryan writes:

"Your bird is an adult female Allen's Hummingbird. You are right that in hand measurements are the definitive way to confirm this species; however, your great photographs provide all of the other evidence. First, the outer tail feather, R5, appears to be narrow. Second, R2 is definitely un-notched (this feature can vary in RUHU but feather width is always different). Finally, ALHUs have more black between the rufous base and the white tip and your bird fits that characteristic. It would be easy to call your bird a HY individual. However, the throat pattern is too clean for a juvenile and the gorget feathers are most definitely adult, not juvenile. Most adult RUHU/ALHU migrating in fall have worn plumage but some look like they have just molted. They won't molt until later in the fall and/or when they arrive on winter territories. Your bird is showing just a bit of feather wear on the tips of the tail feathers. Otherwise, her plumage is really clean. Of course, the best way to confirm adult/juvenile for birds in very clean plumage is to note the corrugations or lack of in the upper mandible, another in hand feature."

 The composite photo shows 5 Rufous Hummingbird tails vs the Allen's in the bottom right. All close-ups of the R5 rectrix.

11 August 2013, photo by Matt VanWallene

All photos are copyrighted© by photographer