Close-up Hummingbirds

Over the past week an unusual hummingbird has been seen in a Staten Island backyard. You might remember my postings about one of these "selasphorus" hummingbirds on Long Island in late-2006. I'm not sure if this week's bird has been conclusively identified because there are two species that are very similar - the Allen's Hummingbird and the Rufous Hummingbird.

Separating these two species can be difficult because it involves, among other field marks, very close inspection of the tail feathers. This article describes the differences. Anyway, I found a product that would make close inspection a snap. It begs the question, "Why wasn't the Wearable Hummingbird Feeder invented sooner?!"