Hummingbirds may be one of the most amazing birds in the avian family, with their diminutive size and bright array of colors. Many of the species migrate long distances, wintering in Latin America and breeding early in the summer in North America.
The rufous hummingbird is typical of this behavior, traveling as far north as Alaska to mate and raise their young. Typically he will travel north through California in late Spring, breeding in early summer somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, and migrating back to Mexico via the Rocky Mountains later in the summer. For the second year in the row, I've documented at least a few stopping in the Prescott, Arizona area for several weeks during their long journey south.
During their sojourn I've witnessed one of their most famous characteristics - they are the feistiest bird in the family. While Anna's hummingbird call northern Arizona home most of the year, they are easily chased away from feeders and established territories by their much smaller cousins. In addition they are much warier of me, the photographer, as I try to approach them. I suppose that one lesson in traveling thousands of miles and facing countless obstacles is don't trust strangers, unless he's got a clean and fresh supply of sugar water.
The male rufous hummingbird is mostly orange colored, with a bright red throat that is a lucky and beautiful sight if he flashes it in the right light. He gets his name from the reddish brown color know as rufous. The female is plainer, with a green back. Against the green forest, the male often looks like a copper flame. Together, they're another reminder of why all of Arizona is a wonderful location for hummingbird sightings, even if just for a couple weeks at a time.
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| Female rufous hummingbird. |
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| Male rufous hummingbird. |
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| Male rufous hummingbird. |
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| Male rufous hummingbird. |
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| Male rufous hummingbird. |
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| Male rufous hummingbird. |
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