Expert: Julia Booth - 3/2/2008

Question
QUESTION: This is my first spotting this year of what I'm sure is a male Allen's hummingbird shot in Golden Gate Park today. Can you confirm? Also, have you heard of other spring sightings of Allen's in San Francisco this year? Just wondering when they showed up this year.

ANSWER: Based on the picture, it does look like an Allen's male. But you don't have too many other species of Hummers that it could be up in Northern California. Alot of times, identification is about exclusion. It's definitely not a Calliope, A Rufuous or a Black-Chinned. The head is too dark to be an Anna's, unless the light is playing with the image.

Allen's Summer along the coast from Mexico all the way up to Oregon or so. I don't think they're SUPER common, but it's not to unusual to be seeing them now. If the weather has been good, they will be nesting soon.

Hope that helps.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: This is side view of the pretty little boy.

Answer
Yeah, that's definitely an Allen's.

It's important to use good resources. I'm assuming you have a field guide or something. I have ten. I check all of them, because they all have different qualities.

This: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/chekbird/

is gold. I use it frequently. It is the government website for population and distribution of wildlife.