I've been seeing this guy around. At first I thought I was seeing things but the picture verifies that its wings are indeed gold in color. My Instagram upload has a better quality picture
Everyone Broad Tailed HB with Gold Trim
05-18-2023, 08:05 AM
Wow, Gary! I did a quick Google search and could not find anything on the gold. Gorgeous!
05-18-2023, 08:15 AM
05-18-2023, 08:16 AM
Must be the Wilderness version
(Similar to the gold trim on the new Subaru Wilderness) ?
(Similar to the gold trim on the new Subaru Wilderness) ?
05-18-2023, 04:05 PM
05-18-2023, 08:13 PM
Yes, WOW, Gary! Looking at the Instagram photo, that is an awesome image. Such quality is always due to the photographer but I would be interested to know what cam and lens you used, along with exif file data.
The better rendition of the Instagram image makes it easier to understand what's causing the gold like color. It's not an aberration of melanin or other genetic anomaly. These are new emerging feathers which are normally finished molting by the time the male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds arrive. In the photo of the wing, the lower four gold feathers are the upper four of ten primary wing feathers (P1-P4). The two end feathers, P9 & P10 (to the right) are the the feathers that produce the whistle wing trill in the male Broad-tailed.
Above the primaries, the next set of feathers are the secondaries, and the upper set are the tertiaries. All these have some new feathers that are a buff color. The same with those of the chin (upper area of the gorget or throat), the face around the eye, the back and the rump. Look at the edges of the feathers in the upper gorget and forecrown. They have the same buffy edges of new feathers that we see in fledged young of the year, one character that distinguishes hatch year birds from after hatch year birds. This will help you distinguish immatures from adult birds in late July through December.
The gold character is the bright light reflecting off the buffy colored new feathers edges. One part of the wing that will remain a dark buff or rufous, is the alula. The alula is at the upper forward edge of the wing, essentially a hummingbird thumb.
Girl hummingbirds whisper:
Goldfinger, he's the man
The man with the Midas touch
The spider's touch
Such a cold finger
Beckons you to enter his web of sins
But don't go in
The better rendition of the Instagram image makes it easier to understand what's causing the gold like color. It's not an aberration of melanin or other genetic anomaly. These are new emerging feathers which are normally finished molting by the time the male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds arrive. In the photo of the wing, the lower four gold feathers are the upper four of ten primary wing feathers (P1-P4). The two end feathers, P9 & P10 (to the right) are the the feathers that produce the whistle wing trill in the male Broad-tailed.
Above the primaries, the next set of feathers are the secondaries, and the upper set are the tertiaries. All these have some new feathers that are a buff color. The same with those of the chin (upper area of the gorget or throat), the face around the eye, the back and the rump. Look at the edges of the feathers in the upper gorget and forecrown. They have the same buffy edges of new feathers that we see in fledged young of the year, one character that distinguishes hatch year birds from after hatch year birds. This will help you distinguish immatures from adult birds in late July through December.
The gold character is the bright light reflecting off the buffy colored new feathers edges. One part of the wing that will remain a dark buff or rufous, is the alula. The alula is at the upper forward edge of the wing, essentially a hummingbird thumb.
Girl hummingbirds whisper:
Goldfinger, he's the man
The man with the Midas touch
The spider's touch
Such a cold finger
Beckons you to enter his web of sins
But don't go in
05-19-2023, 06:12 AM
(05-18-2023, 08:13 PM)Steven B in PV Wrote: Yes, WOW, Gary! Looking at the Instagram photo, that is an awesome image. Such quality is always due to the photographer but I would be interested to know what cam and lens you used, along with exif file data.Steve,
The better rendition of the Instagram image makes it easier to understand what's causing the gold like color. It's not an aberration of melanin or other genetic anomaly. These are new emerging feathers which are normally finished molting by the time the male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds arrive. In the photo of the wing, the lower four gold feathers are the upper four of ten primary wing feathers (P1-P4). The two end feathers, P9 & P10 (to the right) are the the feathers that produce the whistle wing trill in the male Broad-tailed.
Above the primaries, the next set of feathers are the secondaries, and the upper set are the tertiaries. All these have some new feathers that are a buff color. The same with those of the chin (upper area of the gorget or throat), the face around the eye, the back and the rump. Look at the edges of the feathers in the upper gorget and forecrown. They have the same buffy edges of new feathers that we see in fledged young of the year, one character that distinguishes hatch year birds from after hatch year birds. This will help you distinguish immatures from adult birds in late July through December.
The gold character is the bright light reflecting off the buffy colored new feathers edges. One part of the wing that will remain a dark buff or rufous, is the alula. The alula is at the upper forward edge of the wing, essentially a hummingbird thumb.
Girl hummingbirds whisper:
Goldfinger, he's the man
The man with the Midas touch
The spider's touch
Such a cold finger
Beckons you to enter his web of sins
But don't go in
That’s an amazing explanation and it now makes sense as to why the wings appear gold. The back left lighting is surely helping to illuminate these early feathers. I appreciate the explanation. They are amazing little birds and it’s a joy to have them back.
My camera setup is a Tamron 150-600mm lens with a 90D Canon body. It’s a big chip 32M and it’s a cropped sensor producing higher magnification (effectively 960mm). My camera settings are high shutter speeds 1/2000 and I believe the aperture was wide open @6.3. I believe the ISO was ~640 on that one.
05-19-2023, 08:08 PM
Gary, thank you for your insight on the settings. The light on the bird, it's orientation and the aperture that allowed it to all be in focus is remarkable.
Mr. Goldfinger likely won't stand out for more than a week or two longer as his molt will be completed and he'll be virtually indistinguishable from other male Broad-tailed.
About the alula, I meant to write that it is a latent hummingbird thumb, a relic passed on from earlier forms of hummingbirds that lived hundreds of thousands of years ago. Now comprised of a small moveable bone and two feathers, it can be controlled to provide lift, delay stall and is used in any flight that involves high angles of attack such as turning flights in pursuit and evasion.
Yes, amazing birds that have fascinated me since early childhood.
Mr. Goldfinger likely won't stand out for more than a week or two longer as his molt will be completed and he'll be virtually indistinguishable from other male Broad-tailed.
About the alula, I meant to write that it is a latent hummingbird thumb, a relic passed on from earlier forms of hummingbirds that lived hundreds of thousands of years ago. Now comprised of a small moveable bone and two feathers, it can be controlled to provide lift, delay stall and is used in any flight that involves high angles of attack such as turning flights in pursuit and evasion.
Yes, amazing birds that have fascinated me since early childhood.
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