A hummingbird species that commonly will make its property in the western section of the United States has been drawing birders and photographers to the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Environmentally friendly Spring Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia. A chook bander credentialed by the U.S. Geological Survey has con-firmed that a female Rufous hummingbird has built its way to Virginia.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services explained the Rufous hummingbird is awesome for the reason that of the great distances it can migrate from wintering grounds as significantly south as Mexico to breeding grounds as significantly north as Alaska, but the migration route is commonly together the West Coastline. The chook that took a very long detour to Inexperienced Spring Gardens is explained as an after hatch-yr feminine with five colourful gorget (throat) feathers.
At the banding on Jan. 13, 2021, the small fowl had a wing size of 43.69 millimeters and a tail length of 27 millimeters. The width of its outermost tail feather was 3.96 millimeters, and it had a culmen, or invoice, length of 17.86 millimeters. For reference, there are about 25 millimeters in an inch. The hummingbird weighed just 3.4 grams, the fat of about 3 1/2 paper clips. For birding fans, in this article are a couple of other figures:
- Grooving on bill:
- Extra fat: (on scale of -3)
- Wing molt: Primaries #1-4 replaced, most important #5 lacking, primaries #6-10 unmolted
- Human body molt: Somewhere around 50% of back feathers had been changed
It is abnormal to see any hummingbirds in our area at this time of calendar year, and park patrons who wish to see the Rufous hummingbird are cautioned to continue to keep their length in buy to hold from frightening this unusual visitor absent. Park team will go on to deliver nectar feeders all through the winter months and anticipate that the chicken will continue being in the gardens for the remainder of the season.
Inexperienced Spring Gardens is positioned at 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, Virginia. For a lot more information and facts, get in touch with 703-642-5173 or go to Inexperienced Spring Gardens.
