| Common Name | Rufous hummingbird |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Selasphorous rufus |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 08/04/2025 |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Tirzha Osmun Palmer |
| Mailing Address | 52 Frank Orvis Rd Bristol, Vt 05443 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 08/06/2025 |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 0 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 0 |
| Place Name | Frank the 1st (in ebird) |
| Township | South starksboro |
| County | Addison |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 04:34 PM |
| Length of Time Observed | 30 minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 10 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 5 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Hazey and hotter than normal |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | None, was very close to the bee balm it was feeding on. |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | I saw it last summer, but doubted myself and did not report. Today 8/6/2025 I saw one visiting bee balm in Panton Vermont as well. |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Woody, left my lawn more overgrown this summer to encourage birds and bugs. |
| Behaviors Observed | Feeding and flight. I witnessed it go to rest in a tree and then lost sight. But it visited my bee balm twice and explored a smaller garden closer to me before flying around the yard. |
| Description of Vocalizations | Little chip noises |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | A ruby-throated hummingbird was visiting the bee balm and then this rufous(I believe it is not Allen because the tail feathers did not seem pointy) hummingbird flew in and fed and the ruby flew off. When I observed in panton vt today, I did not make an ebird checklist, but it was a similar situation. |
| Relative Size & Shape | It seemed smaller than the ruby throated, which I have read is not correct. Fanned out tail feathers with square ends. Very orange, that was the biggest difference other than the tail feathers from the ruby-throated. |
| Upper Back | Maybe a hint of green on the back |
| Lower Back & Rump | Very orange |
| Wings | Looked long compared to body and came to a point on the ends while in flight. Very sleek/slender. |
| Tail | fanned out orange with square ends |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | The allen hummingbird and the ruby-throated. The ruby I had a direct observation comparison as both visited the bee ball during my observation. Then I used merlin to look for hummingbirds with orange tails and decided the allens tail was more pointy on the ends. |
| Other Notes & Comments | Though I read these hummingbirds can scare off other species. The ruby-throated doesn't go too far from the bee balm and visits once the rufous moves on. I am watching as often as possible to try to get a photo, video or sound recording. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | During the Observation |
Vermont Atlas of Life Partners
