re: 2021 Flight of the hummingbirds

Some ID tips for those of us on the gulf coast or Southeast:

- Ruby-throated are the only expected hummingbirds along the gulf coast,and is the Eastern US, particularly spring, summer, fall. If it's a green bird, green and white, green and buff, etc, it's probably a ruby-throated.
- most similar to the Ruby is a black chinned hummingbird. Only way most of us are going to tell the difference is in an adult male where the gorget (throat) is purple instead of red
- Beginning now and through the winter, there are vagrant western birds, most commonly the Rufous hummingbird. Keep an eye out for a hummingbird that has any bit of orange on it. Juveniles may have just orange tail feathers, while adult males are little orange fireballs.

Keep a feeder out year-round and you may just be surprised at what shows up. Last year was one of the busiest for wintering hummingbirds, with 281 birds banded by the Hummingbird Research project. LINK