English and Scientific names:

Anna's Hummingbird 

Calypte anna

Number of individuals: 

1 Female Immature in Typical Plumage

Locality: LOUISIANA: 

Town of Kinder, Allen Parish, Louisiana

Specific Locality:

1505 Lurton Avenue

Date(s) when observed:

October 09, 2008 Through October 16, 2008

Time(s) of day when observed:  

Various off and on all day.  Earliest time sighting at 06:50 a.m. and latest time of 06:40 p.m.

Reporting observer and address:

Clayton W.  Gilley

Kinder, LA 

Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):

 

None

Other observers who independently identified the bird(s):

None

Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):

All sightings around three feeders hanging from a Gum tree in my yard.  The little bird would feed hovering and perched on the feeder(s).  While not feeding she spent a lot of her time "guarding" and "defending" what she considered her personal feeders, or perched on small limbs low in the tree.  Light conditions varried from shade to bright sun with weather conditions ranging from fair and sunny to partly cloudy and overcast.

Optical equipment: 

Binoculars, Leica Ultravid 8x42 and Leica Ultravid 10x50

Distance to bird(s): 

Varied from twenty-five (25) feet out to maybe seventy-five (75) feet.

Duration of observation:

Several hours total time accumulated over the six days she was here.

Habitat: 

Typical residential neighborhood yard

Behavior of bird: 

All observations were from a lawn chair on my carport where I can comfortably watch my feeders in comfort.  Behavior was what I would consider typical for any hummingbird.  She was very aggressive defending "her" feeders and chasing off the three Ruby-throats that were here at the same time.  The Ruby-throats provided excellent comparison for distinguishing her from them.  The slight difference in body size and coloration, and noticible difference in shape, coupled with the un-mistakable central red throat patch made the identification seem easy for me.  For that entire week I only had the four hummers here and they gave ample opportunity to watch and compare them.

Description:

These observations were made comparing her to the three Ruby-throats that were here during the whole time of her stay.  Since she was unwilling to pose for measurements, I can only guess.

LENGTH: between 3-1/2 and 4 inches.
COLOR: variations between her and the three Ruby-throats.
SHAPE:  Obvious difference between her and the slimmer Ruby-throats

Voice:

None

Similar species:

Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds present for comparison and she was a stand-out against them.

Photographs or tape recordings obtained?

None

Previous experience with this species: 

None

Identification aids:

Sibley Field Guide To Birds of Eastern North America.

National Geographic Complete Birds of North America.
Stokes Field Guide to Birds, Western Region.

This description is written from: 

Notes and memory.  Had I known the interest this would have prompted, I would have kept the notes and taken photographs.

Are you positive of your identification? If not, explain: 

 

Yes, positive of the bird and unsure of maturity.  There is the possibility she could have been an adult.  No experience with this makes unsure.

Reporter: 

Clayton W.  Gilley

Date and time: 

10/20/2008, 2:15 p.m.