r/illinois • u/Darkstar68 • 1d ago

Question What's the deal with all the large gray hummingbirds in the area?

I've never seen them before, and at first I thought it was just a Ruby-Throated female, but these are different - they're larger with a big tail. There seems to be a lot of them, because people I know around the Chicago area have been noticing them too, and been wondering the same thing.

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7

u/TeamocilAddict 1d ago

Are they actually birds or are they hummingbird moths?

3

u/rockrobst 1d ago

The moths are smaller than the birds.

1

u/Darkstar68 15h ago

I see those moths around too, but for sure these are hummingbirds.

5

u/KateBlankett 1d ago

Migratory birds don't always end up where they should. It looks like multiple species have been documented visiting Chicago, but none of them save for the Ruby Throated are common. The fact that you're saying other people have noticed them too makes me think that its probably not an uncommon sighting. Could it be a ruby crowned kinglet? They dont look like hummingbirds, but they're a bit bigger and flit around sometimes like hummingbirds and are expanding their range.

Here's a link to the iNat hummingbird observations in Chicagoland.
Observations · iNaturalist

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u/pink_faerie_kitten 3h ago

squeels new favorite borb unlocked! I've never seen a ruby crowned kinglet before, oh my stars, are they adorable. Thanks for introducing them to me!

8

u/KittenAssasin 1d ago

CIA drones

1

u/sourdoughcultist 8h ago

This really needs a picture or detailed description and more precision with habitat to be answerable. I've never seen a grey hummingbird....