tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465049201581386171.post1226963783086781623..comments2024-02-05T09:24:00.251-05:00Comments on The Birdist: Can you ID Selasphorus hummingbirds by call note?NickLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15505861510483807050noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4465049201581386171.post-24694498390378213002012-10-31T15:54:23.730-04:002012-10-31T15:54:23.730-04:00Hi, Doug,
Voice is vastly underrated in hummingbi...Hi, Doug,<br /><br />Voice is vastly underrated in hummingbird identification and proved critical to settling <a href="http://home.mindspring.com/~tzunun/sonogram.htm" rel="nofollow">a controversy here in Arizona in 2006</a>. One thing I learned in making the sonograms for that analysis is the importance of equalizing the time and frequency scales between/among samples. That's why it's hard to see any consistent differences between the chip notes of Rufous/Allen's and Broad-tailed in your sonograms. <br /><br />Fortunately, this bird isn't that difficult for those familiar with both species. Its stocky, compact shape is consistent with Rufous/Allen's, and this is confirmed by the presence of rufous on the inner vane of R2, visible in your photo above. Broad-taileds lack visible rufous on the inner vane of R2:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tzunun/6397153147/in/set-72157619893017097" rel="nofollow">Rufous vs. Broad-tailed female tails</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tzunun/6393202407/in/set-72157619893017097/" rel="nofollow">Broad-tailed tail montage</a><br /><br />This bird's rectrices, especially R5, appear too wide for Allen's, but that's a very tough call in juvenile females.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com