A Synopsis of the Birds of North America

by John James Audubon

Oiseau-mouche Anna, Ornismya Anna, Less. Traite d'Ornith. p. 281.

Anna Humming Bird, Trochilus Anna, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 238.

253. 3. Trochilus Colubris, Linn. Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Plate XLVII. Male, Female, and Young.

Bill straight, acute; tail of moderate length, even. Upper parts light green with golden reflections; quills and tail purplish-brown, the two middle feathers like the back; throat, sides of the head, and fore neck carmine-purple, spotted with black, varying to crimson, orange, and deep black; sides light green, the rest of the lower parts greyish-white mixed with green. Female differs in wanting the brilliant patch on the throat, which is white, as are the lower parts generally, and having the three lateral tail-feathers tipped with the same colour. Young with the lower parts brownish-white, the tail tipped with white, the upper parts light green.

Male, 3¹/₄, 4¹/₂.

In summer, from Texas to Lat. 57°, and in all intermediate districts, east of the Rocky Mountains. Common. Migratory.

Humming Bird, Trochilus Colubris, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ii. p. 26.

Trochilus Colubris, Bonap. Syn. p. 98.

Trochilus Colubris, Northern Humming Bird, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 323.

Ruby-throated Humming Bird, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 588.

Ruby-throated Humming Bird, Trochilus colubris, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 248; v. v. p. 544.

GENUS II. SELASPHORUS, Swains. RUFFED-HUMMINGBIRD.

Bill long, straight, subulate, extremely slender, somewhat depressed at the base, acute; upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge narrow at the base, broad and convex toward the end, the sides convex, the edges overlapping, the tip acuminate; lower mandible with the angle very long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line straightish, the edges erect, the tip acuminate. Nostrils basal, linear. Head of ordinary size, oblong; neck short; body short and ovate. Feet very small; tarsus very short, feathered more than half-way; toes small, the lateral equal, the third not much longer, the first a little shorter than the lateral; claws rather long, arched, compressed, very acute. Plumage soft and blended; elongated feathers on the sides of the neck in the males. Wings rather short, falcate, pointed, the second primary longest. Tail rather long, broad, graduated.

254. 1. Selasphorus rufus, Gmel. Rufous Ruffed-Hummingbird.—Nootka Hummingbird.