White-winged Dove – Juvenile sleeping at feederZenaid asaitica July – Texas L=11.5” ...... WS=19” ...... WT=5 oz Order: Columbiformes (Pigeons and Doves) Family: Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves) Adult White-winged Doves sleep 10-20% of the time during the day and the young probably sleep even more. Juveniles are less wary than adults, sometimes to their detriment. This juvenile began periodically sleeping on a very busy bird feeder until numerous protests and disturbances by other birds prompted a change in this behavior.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – Feeding on oleanderArchilochus colubris July – Texas L=3.75” ...... WS=4.5”...... WT=0.12 oz Order: Apodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds) Family: Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) Hummingbirds have very small feet and legs that are poorly adapted to walking or hopping. Consequently, they fly everywhere including to simply change their perch. It is this characteristic that led to the name Apodiformes as “apodi-” translates literally to “without feet”. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird in the Eastern United States and Canada. During their migration many individuals fly non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of approximately 500 miles. This requires fattening to nearly double their body weight before the migration.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird – Hovering before feedingSelasphorus platycerus September – New Mexico L=4” ...... WS=5.25”...... WT=0.13 oz Order: Apodiformes (Swifts and Hummingbirds) Family: Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) The Broad-tailed Hummingbird breeds at high elevations in the southern and central Rocky Mountains, eastern California, and Mexico. One identifying characteristic is the male’s shrill buzzing sound that occurs during flight. This buzzing is due to tapered outer feathers on their wings that buzz when air passes through them. Like all hummingbirds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds have a very long slender tongue. The tongue itself wraps around the back of the skull and then enters the oral cavity. This coil allows the tongues of hummingbirds to extend well beyond the typically long bill, sometimes as much as a full bill length beyond the bill itself .
