The smallest hummer I have ever seen!

by Susan Muir
(Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada)

We were weeding our garden today and while we were taking a break the smallest little bird flew in and roosted on a dead branch.

I had no idea what it was. It was so small, grey in colour, white under belly, little black tail, small pointed beak.

Suddenly it took flight and started to hover from blossom to blossom on the Jewelweed that had taken over part of the garden.

We knew then it must be a hummingbird, but it didn’t look like our typical Rubythroat. It was also so small.

Is it possible that this was a baby? This is October 5th and we live in South Western Ontario.

Hello there Susan, thank you for writing to us with this information and question.

I have always read that the Ruby Throated Hummer is the only one in Ontario, but recently I read that the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Michigan and Ohio, all border Ontario or the great Lakes, and they all have hummers, other than the Ruby Throat.

Here's a link you might find interesting Hummingbirds.Net

In addition to the Ruby Throated Hummingbird, they all have some of these ... Rufous, Anna's, Allen's, Calliope, Black-chinned, and this same source says that Ontario also gets Broad-billed as well as Black-chinned, and I wonder whether habitat destruction is responsible for the changes in their location.