During my visit to Lenoir Preserve on Saturday (after a 3.5 hour vigil for the Painted Bunting at Cove Island--missed it by less than 30 minutes!), I observed the immature male Ruby-throated hummingbird perform a flight display -- a series of 6 "U"-shaped swoops -- over the butterfly garden. I've heard immature males of a few passerine species practice their singing in the fall and winter. As hummingbirds don't really sing, such a visual display now would be the Trochilidae equivalent of warming up for spring.
-- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
