August is the month of the Hummingbird
Below: Calliope Hummingbird
August is the month of the Rufous Hummingbird. This tinny bird weighing in at 4 grams, but capable of flying 2,000 miles on migration. They are present in great numbers at the Mesilla Valley State Park also providing great entertainment on the home feeders. Although, there I cannot fully understand why there are only young first year sub adults at my feeders in the old town of Mesilla, New Mexico. At this time of year the hummingbirds have completed their breeding season and there is a general dispersal of families. The Rufous has appeared here and do seem to be quite dominate, chasing off the local black-chinned. We were also privileged by the presence of the even smaller Calliope Hummingbird this morning plus a mature male Rufous – What a delight! The smallest breeding hummingbird in the USA, believed to be the smallest bodied long distant migrant in the world.
above: A immature Black-chinned Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are able to reach nectar deep in trumpet blooms by virtue it long tongue
This period of post breeding is the most challenging for birders, because there are many birds with immature plumage making it very difficult to identify them accurately.
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