Day 203: For much of the thirty years I've lived in this location, the only hummingbirds I ever saw were Rufous. A few years ago, I spotted what I believed to be an Anna's female, and subsequent birds confirmed the identification readily. Then last year, I had some odd "Anna's," and when they didn't quite match the field guide descriptions, I began reading everything I could find on possible hybrids of Anna's x Costa's. I discovered that in the last ten years or so, Costa's has been expanding its range northward, and that yes, they do interbreed with Anna's, and the cross had been observed in southwest Washington. Then I got the surprise of my life when one day I looked out at the feeder and saw a male which was unquestionably Costa's. The purple crown and gorget were distinctly different from anything I'd seen previously. I wasn't quick enough with the camera, but I'm ready for him now if he comes back! The Anna's stick around all winter, but in summer, the population of Rufous swells until the distribution is about 50/50. Rufous is more territorial than Anna's, but the Anna's aren't giving any ground. I hope Costa's can find a comfortable niche.
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