| Hummingbirds back-to-back in this series?
Sure. There
are nine species in this family which qualify as special to
Arizona--species found only here or more easily here than in
any other state, and Plain-capped Starthroat is one which
qualifies as a fall specialty.
Although all the state records for this hummingbird
fall between June and October, many of the summer sightings
have been single-observer or one-day-wonders.
The August and September records, however, have usually
involved birds that were well seen over multiple days or weeks
and were thought to be a result of post-breeding dispersal
north from Mexico. Fall
is the time to be looking and the season when a chase for this
species is most feasible.
This is Heliomaster
constantii, a large but relatively drab hummingbird which
breeds in Mexico from the Pacific Slope of Sonora south to
Honduras. There are two sight records from New Mexico in addition to
the nearly two dozen from our state.
Plain-capped Starthroat will be conspicuous amongst the
hordes of Arizona fall hummingbirds because of the pattern of
white patches on throat, flanks and rump.
Though all show up nicely in this photo of the August,
'92 Portal bird, be aware that the flank patches are much more
obvious in flight and are often concealed in perched
starthroats.
The common name, starthroat, derives from the red to
coppery-orange highlights which adorn the base of the narrow,
otherwise plain, dark gray gorget of this species.
In immature birds the gorget is usually colorless, and in
females the color may appear only as a thin band.
In the color slide from which this print was taken, the
Portal bird was truly a "starthroat," a single red
feather, one glimmering star, standing out against the black sky of
the gorget. Starthroats are highly insectivorous and notably
non-aggressive. Because
they are not particularly attracted to feeders, it may well be
there are several in the state every year that simply go
unobserved.
|
Some of the sightings have been from the frequented hummer
hotspots such as the one last fall at the Santa Rita Lodge in
Madera Canyon and the one last month at Tom Beatty's feeders
in Miller Canyon. Many others, however, have been away from the traditional
feeding stations, with records from the Patagonia-Sonoita
Creek Sanctuary, Coronado National Monument at the southern
end of the Huachucas, and yes, a bird in Phoenix in October of
'78.
Although no other Arizona hummingbird is likely to be
confused with Plain-capped Starthroat, there are two species
which might cause starthroat seekers a jolt of adrenaline.
Occasionally a female Magnificent will have an
elongated post-ocular spot, but this species would never show
the wide white moustache or the conspicuous white rump patch
distinctive to our starthroat.
Sometimes at rest an Anna's will display white tufts in
the flank area, but Anna's are smaller, proportionately much
shorter billed, and likewise would never show a starthroat's
white/dark patterns on throat and rump.
When we originally moved to the Valley in June of '78 it
took us a few months to settle into new jobs and to realize
life here went on a usual despite Arizona's summer heat.
When we finally made contact with the MAS hotline, it
was October. Plain-capped
Starthroat was the lead bird on our first dial-up, and we had
absolutely no clue what family of birds it even belonged to.
The original identification had been met with some
skepticism, but Bob Bradley had taken one look and told Mrs.
Yoba, the bird's hostess, to go out and get a guest register.
Mrs. Yoba filled her register with listers from all over the
country. Ultimately,
we missed the bird by one day, but we learned a simple truth
about Arizona birding. Anything,
anytime, anywhere, and don't let skepticism slow you down or
dampen your enthusiasm. Fourteen
years later the Portal bird was our first look at a
Plain-capped Starthroat. |
