THE RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD. 



{Selasphorus rufus.) 



This hardy little "Hummer," which is 

 even smaller than our well-known ruby- 

 throated hummingbird, . is weighted 

 with a number of popular names. Among 

 these are the "Rufous-backed Humming- 

 bird," the "Ruff-necked Honeysucker, 

 or Hummingbird," the "Rufous Flame- 

 bearer" and the "Cinnamon Hummer." 



The Rufous is probably the most wide- 

 ly distributed of all the hummingbirds. 

 Its range extends throughout Western 

 North America. It breeds from the 

 higher mountains of Southern California 

 northward, near the coast to Nootka 

 Sound, Alaska. In its migrations it 

 flies eastward to Montana, Colorado and 

 thence southward through New Mexico 

 to Western Texas. In fact, during this 

 period it frequents the eastern slopes 

 of the Rocky Mountains, adding beauty 

 to this wild region. Its winter home is 

 chiefly in Mexico and Lower California. 



This Hummingbird is exceedingly 

 pugnacious and, as Mr. Henshaw says, 

 "The fiery red throat of the Rufous- 

 backed Hummer is an index of impet- 

 uous, aggressive disposition, and when 

 brought into conflict with the other spe- 

 cies it invariably asserts its supremacy 

 and drives its rival in utter rout from the 

 field. Nor do the males of this species 

 confine their warfare to their own sex. 

 Gallantry has no place apparently in their 

 breasts, and when conquest has put 

 them in possession of a perch near a 

 clump of flowers they wage war on all 

 comers, females as well as males." 



The Rufous Hummer is one of the ear- 

 liest of the migratory birds to leave its 

 winter home, and arrives within the bor- 

 ders of the United States early in March 

 and is known to begin housekeeping as 

 far North as the State of Oregon early 

 in April. Altitude as well as climate 

 seems to have much influence in the se- 

 lection of a nesting sight. The altitude 

 of the breeding range seems to lie be- 

 tween four and seven thousand feet above 

 the sea level, and nests have been report- 

 ed as high as ten thousand feet. 



Mr. A. W. Anthony, writing of this 

 species as he observed it in Oregon, says 

 that "they nested to some extent in oaks, 

 blackberry vines and on dry roots pro- 

 jecting from upturned trees. One nest 

 hung from the end of a tall fern, while 

 others, drooping over it from above, hid 

 the beautiful structure from all but ac- 

 cidental discovery. Their favorite sites, 

 however, seemed to be the long, trailing 

 vines overhanging embankments and up- 

 turned trees. A number were found in 

 railroad cuts. One nest was found that 

 ' had been placed on top of a last year's 

 habitation, a mere rim being built to raise 

 the sides, and a flooring being added to 

 cover up a large pebble that could be 

 plainly felt under the cotton lining." This 

 habit of adding stories to nests of the 

 previous season is not infrequent with 

 other species of the hummingbirds. 



The nest of the Rufous Humming- 

 bird resembles those of many other spe- 

 cies of hummers, and it is very much 

 like that of the Anna's hummingbird. 

 The framework is comoposed of delicate 

 tree mosses and fine bark fiber, the outer 

 face of which is sometimes adorned with 

 lichens, though not so profusely as is 

 that of the Anna's, and fastened together 

 with spider's webs and the silky threads 

 from cocoons. It is lined with the fine 

 cotton down of plants, especially that of 

 the willow, and the pappus of the Com- 

 positae. These nests seem large when 

 compared with the size of the bird. The 

 average nest measures about one and 

 one-half inches in the outer diameter and 

 one and one-fourth inches in depth. 

 "Their nesting sites may be looked for 

 in low bushes as well as on the hori- 

 zontal limbs of trees at various distances 

 from the ground." When compared 

 with other species of the family this spe- 

 cies is quite noisy, especially when it sees 

 a broad-tailed hummer in the neighbor- 

 hood. For this species it exhibits an in- 

 tense animosity and will pursue it, ut- 

 tering shrill and expressively angry 

 notes. 



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