black chested hummingbird?? (1 Viewer)

[Mazzy21]

Hi, I'm not a birder but I do maintain a hummer feeder from about April to October in lower Michigan. In years' past I see to have one "family" that are almost certainly the ruby throated that are common to Michigan - though I've only ever seen females or maybe juvenile males because I've literally only seen the actual ruby colored throat on one bird/one visit ever even though hummers stop by the feeder all day long, so I assume only mama and babies are living close by.

This year what I assume to be a second "family" is coming in. They fly in from a different direction and all of them have varying degrees of dark/black chest feathers. I can't find any hummer that is supposed to come to Michigan that looks like that. I also make the assumption that the male(s) have the really dark black chest and the female(s) look more like they are covered in dirt or soot on the chest.

*(edit) PS: when I say "chest", as I am not a birder, what I probably really mean is chest and going down their belly area

Anyone know what this hummer family might be? I read that a few stragglers of other species sometimes make it up here but it seems pretty rare for that to happen, so could this still be a ruby throat family that somehow just has a genetic anomaly of darker chest feathers? I'm stumped. Thank you!!

 

[Lisa W]

First off, welcome to the forum. I can’t think of one, and usually vagrants tend to be alone and not in a group. Is there any way you can get a photo of one?

 

[KC Foggin]

I agree with Lisa. A photo would be very helpful.

Hi there and a warm welcome to you .
We're glad you found us and please join in wherever you like

 

[Mazzy21]

Thank you. I will try to get a photo of what I think is female and what I think is male of the black chested ones. One literally just came seconds ago but a wasp decided to be... a wasp and challenge and chase the hummer away. I have watched a full on aerial battle with the ruby throat female and a wasp, but this black chested gave up pretty quick. I'll post back when I get pics.

Thanks for the warm welcomes!!

 

[Doemasters]

I had this one last week that was more black I believe than the normal red I am use to seeing

 

[jmepler]

The throat of a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird appears to be red because of iridescence. It is only visible in certain lighting conditions, otherwise it will appear black, like this bird.

 

[Mazzy21]

This is very much how my guy was. They are gone now. I'm in Michigan and it's November (and 1st snow today). Thank you for showing me this. Now I know it's still a ruby-throated. I tried and tried to get a pic for the forum but I never could. My hummers are way too suspicious of interior movement. I do have one that will actually come to the glass door and look inside before going to the feeder. lol

Edit: sorry, I thought I quoted the pic post above but I see it's not here. That pic is very similar to mine with a very muddy/black chest.

 

[GrampaTom]

Walking the Bay Trail in Richmond, CA, (Berkeley/Oakland), a few of us came upon a Hummingbird that looks very much like the one above in #5, if a little less disheveled. It was in a place we commonly see Anna's and so were skeptical this was not a trick of light. Close enough, within say 20,' I was able to walk around it, to try to make sure it was what we were seeing, a green body with all black head and bill, and not sunlight bouncing off the iridescence of an Anna's. In Sibley's its potentially a "Black Chinned." Cornell on my phone, set for California, and does not show this. Am I nuts?

 

[Lisa W]

It could be a Black-chinned that didn’t move south, they do stay occasionally in an odd place if the weather is still good. Andy they are there in the summer and during migrations.

 

[mhmyers]

The throat of a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird appears to be red because of iridescence. It is only visible in certain lighting conditions, otherwise it will appear black, like this bird.

Here is a composite video showing how the black feathers turn red when the light hits it right
View attachment rubythroat.mov