Hummingbirds The Molting of a Rufous Hummingbird Photo Journal by Jackie Allison, Nipomo, CA Nipomo, CA (35.01N, 120.50W) is half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, along the central California Coast. Jan. 26, 2005: What a surprise to see a male rufous hummingbird without iridescent color on his chin and throat! Just a row of dots divided his chest and throat with a larger dot above, and they were non-reflective. Seeing that his back was rufous, or a burnt orange, I knew it was a Rufous Hummingbird and not an Allen's Hummingbird, which looks very similar and is common to our area. When he first arrived and had white on his chin and throat, and the days during the first appearance of pin feathers, he did not readily chase the Allen's and Anna's hummingbirds that came into his territory. When he did, it was mild at best and the intruding hummingbirds took nectar as if there were "no worries." Because of the Rufous's superior territorial aggressiveness, I worried at first that he may be sick, even though his eyes and nose were clear and he looked as healthy as the other hummingbirds I was photographing at that time. (I was enlarging photos to check health.) Rufous hummingbirds are famous for their aggression towards other hummingbirds when establishing a new territory, even if it is only temporarily during migration. He took over a 40' by 30' area of plants and small trees the day he flew in. When the Anna's hummingbirds that live here all year try to take nectar from his territory, he charges and chases them out! Feb. 6, 2005: Thirteen days after his arrival, I could see that he had put on weight and was looking healthy. Hummingbirds need to feed up to eight times every hour. They usually consume half their weight in sugar each day. (If YOU ate like this bird, how much would you eat each day?) Feb. 9, 2005: His head has begun looking as if he is sporting a spiky new hairdo! When hummingbirds molt, the iridescence gorget and head feathers usually come in last. Pin feathers are giving him that "spiky" crown. The white spot on his bill is pollen. Feb. 11, 2005: We don't use artificial feeders. We rely on plants to attract and sustain the migrating and resident hummingbirds. We live where winters are generally mild, and plants bloom here the year round. Taken 2-20-2005 Areas of white on the chin are still visible along with a remaining spot on the necklace. Notice his tiny little feet? It has been either raining or overcast for the past five days, making it difficult to photograph the unveiling of his striking new gorget. Finally, with the appearance of morning sun on his 27th day of stopover, I was able to capture the shape of his new gorget, but not the essence. The iridescent parts of the gorget feathers are flat; in order to reflect light that creates the flashy display colors, the sun must strike the feathers at just the right angle or the colors look dark. I needed to photograph him facing the sun, with the lower light of the early morning and before overcast or rain once again took over. Feb. 20, 2005: He's standing guard over his territory on a dead limb of a cypress tree on the edge of his territory. He slept in the cypresses (behind him) at night. He didn't seem to have a problem with me watching him. It was getting harder to clearly photograph him at the higher level of perching, but easier to locate his whereabouts because he was now adding almost continual vocalization from the new vantage points. With mixed emotions, I felt he would be leaving soon. Feb. 20, 2005. Sitting on the lower bare branches of a Eucalyptus torquata, you can still see that his gorget is not totally unveiled. Even though the continual rain had made the days cooler, he began perching further out in the open on the ends of tree branches instead of the more shielded interior. He began to expand his territory to twice its original size, adding several more trees. As his colors unfolded, I could see a big change in his perching behavior and attitude towards other hummingbirds! Feb. 20, 2005: Yes! He faced the sun, flashing proudly a partial gorget reflecting orange-red. You can tell by his eye that he is watching me. Notice the black line in the center of the white on his chin, and internally, surrounding the color are pin feathers, yet to unfold. He was gone on March 2, 2005--on his way to his breeding grounds in the Pacific Northwest. Try This! Journaling Questions Gorgeous colors are a badge of pride for most male birds of any species. Come to think of it, human males and females take pride in displaying "colors" too. What examples can you think of where people sport colors with pride? Why do you think colors are so important to all species? What are some possible reasons why Rufous Hummingbirds are so aggressive toward other hummingbirds? Facebook Pinterest Twitter © 1997 – 2019 Journey North. All rights reserved.