www.photobucket.com/hummingbirds_2009

I have seen an all yellow hummingbird as a child and I cant find it in any books. I live in northern IN.

I have a friend over and he said he saw one last year without me even bringing up the color. lol. So tomorrow I am going yellow hummingbird hunting. lol

Does anyone know why there arent any in my books? If u have any info that would make me less crazy sounding. lol

Kelley,

I certainly wouldn't call you crazy, but (while I don't consider myself an expert), insofar as I know there are no all-yellow hummingbirds in North America, and I'm certain there are none in the United States.

There are a few species of warbler which are all or mostly yellow; and they are small (though not as slender or small as a hummingbird). Perhaps that's what you're remembering, or perhaps your memories are "colored" a bit by the passage of time. It's not a sign of crazy, though!

Wish I could be more encouraging, but I'm afraid it just doesn't appear possible.

Kevin Morgan
Baton Rouge, LA

I'm thinking maybe it is a freak of nature. Before I said anything my son's friend said he saw a yellow one last year. LOL His town is about 25 minutes south of where I grew up. So I'm going to go hunting. Maybe for nothing, but I might see some other birds that I can have fun identifying. Wish me luck!!

Kelley, as Kevin mentioned, there are no yellow-colored hummingbirds in the United States and possibly none elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere. Very occasionally, aberrations occur in the pigmentation of birds. However, I have not heard of any hummingbirds that actually were yellow.

Some of the colors we perceive on hummingbirds are not results of pigmentation, but they are the result of a refraction of light striking microscopic flat air bubbles within the structure of the feathers. These refractive colors will appear to change as the angle of the light changes. When the light is not at the proper angle to produce the illusion of color, the bird may appear to be black.

I have seen the gorgets of male Ruby-throateds and male Rufous appear to be yellow, golden, or yellow-green, but in each case, when the bird turned its head, a different color appeared. These birds can be full of surprises.

A few years ago, I hosted a young male Ruby-throated that exhibited a very odd coloration. Everywhere the feathers would normally appear green, they were the color of tarnished silver [but without sparkle]. The partial gorget was iridescent charcoal gray. The Volcano Hummingbird of the Cordillera Talamanca of Costa Rica has an iridescent charcoal gorget, but this was an extraordinary Ruby-throated.

Good luck in your hunt.

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Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
USDA Zone 9

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Cheers,Bob
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6a
Lexington,Ky.
It's Spring!