Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin), Chandler, Maricopa County

This Allen's Hummingbird was found and photographed by Matt VanWallene on 30 August 2016

Rare but regular fall migrant in SE Arizona. Few records elsewhere, but due to difficulties in identification probably overlooked. This is the second for Maricopa County; the first was in the same yard in 2013.

This is a hatch-year male. Separation of Rufous and Allen's hummingbirds can be extremely challenging, and the identification of this individual was confirmed by hummingbird bander Kelly Bryan. The first three photos below show this individual, and the last is a composite comparing tail shape of young male Rufous and Allen's. R1 (rectrix, or tail feather, #1; see numbering in photo below) has no distinguishing differences between Allen's and Rufous. R2 has a subtle difference, in that the tip is emarginated more strongly in Rufous, weakly or not at all in Allen's. Other rectrices, especially R5, are narrower in Allen's than in Rufous.

30 August 2016, photo by Matt VanWallene

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