Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), Santa Rita Lodge, Madera Canyon, Pima County

This Ruby-throated Hummingbird was found and photographed by Laurens Halsey on 24 October 2017

Casual in Arizona with seven previously accepted records (likely representing six individuals). Six of the seven records are from fall/winter.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds breed across southern Canada to extreme eastern British Columbia, winter as far north as southern Sinaloa, and are uncommon but regular migrants as far west as the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. Identification of female and juvenile male Ruby-throated Hummingbird is extremely difficult due to similarity to its congener, Black-chinned Hummingbird, and different hybrid combinations. It is possible that these identification challenges contribute to the scarcity of convincing reports from Arizona.

Overall shape, plumage, and apparent size indicate that this is one of the Archilochus species in female or immature plumage. Sharply contrasting head pattern with black mask, green crown, short bill, and notched tail further suggest that this is a Ruby-throated Hummingbird and buff tipped feathers on crown & upper-parts indicate this is a juvenile. A few red spangles, overall wing shape, and shape of individual primaries are more conclusive that this is a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Specifically, the inner primaries are sharply pointed rather than rounded, and the outermost primary is narrow and tapered. A Black-chinned Hummingbird should never show red spangles in the gorget, and has more broad, curving outer primaries and rounded inner primaries.

24 October 2017, photo by Laurens Halsey

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