Thursday, September 26, 2013

It's a...?

Many years ago I noticed and remarked upon (in the LOS News, I think) one of the hummingbirds in Audubon's Ruby-throated Hummingbird watercolor, said to have been painted in Louisiana in the 1820s. At the time, the bird seemed to me to be a good candidate for a Black-chinned Hummingbird.  That would possibly make it a first Louisiana record, and more interestingly the image would predate the description of the species by a couple of decades.

I was recently looking through my book of Audubon watercolors and noticed this bird again.  I decided to scan the plate using a more modern scanner than what I had back in the '90s.  The image quality is limited by the printing process, but the outer primary of the bird is tolerably clear.  To my eyes, the outer web of the outer primary still looks like it widens more than it would on a Ruby-throat.  Hummingbird banders that can see the differences with their eyes closed would have a more valuable opinion than mine, of course.  It would also help to see the original watercolor, which I don't guess I ever will...

Keep in mind that Audubon had a keen eye and mind for minor details, as evidenced by his observation of the rough wing on a Rough-winged Swallow.  Also keep in mind the fact that this image is not a copy of an engraving, but of the original watercolor.  In other words, this is a copy of the image that Audubon made by hand, not of a second generation product.


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