An immature or female hummingbird is tough to accurately identify among closely related species, such as Rufous and Allen’s Hummingbirds. Which is this? (Guess an Allen’s Hummingbird, and you will be correct.)

While northern birders are surrounded by snowy winter climes and thoughts of hummingbirds visiting feeders are distant memories, last week an accounting of wintering hummingbirds in Louisiana included a surprising number of species and individuals – a total of 8 different species including 142 hummingbirds! The impressive information collected is a testimony to Louisiana birders who provide winter sugar-water in nectar feeders and share information about the birds that visit them. Obviously, many of the hummers are off-course, and some provide truly rare bird sightings.

As always, it was difficult to distinguish between some individuals, usually immature and female hummingbirds are tough to accurately identify among closely related species. This is especially true of 2 hummingbirds that were either Ruby-throated or Black-chinned Hummingbirds, and 60 hummingbirds that were either Rufous or Allen’s Hummingbirds, although most of these were undoubtedly Rufous Hummingbirds – a species much more likely to winter in southern states, while Allen’s don’t usually make expansive flights beyond their far west range.

Erik Johnson provided the following Summary of Louisiana Hummingbird Reports up to December 8:

* Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, 27 reports at 12 sites in 10 parishes

* Black-chinned Hummingbirds, 15 reports at 12 sites in 9 parishes

* Archilochus species, 2 reports at 2 sites in 2 parishes

* Rufous Hummingbirds, 20 reports from 17 sites in 10 parishes

* Selasphorus Rufous/Allens Hummingbirds, 60 reports at 46 sites in 18 parishes

* Buff-bellied Hummingbirds, 9 reports at 8 sites in 7 parishes
* Calliope Hummingbirds, 6 reports at 6 sites in 4 parishes
* Broad-billed Hummingbirds, 2 reports at 2 sites in 2 parishes
* Broad-tailed Hummingbird, 1 report at 1 site in 1 parish

For more information about Louisiana’s recent winter hummingbird sightings, see Erik Johnson’s valuable accounting of hummer sightings at http://birding.aba.org/message.php?mesid=1622867&MLID=LA&MLNM=Louisiana