On the afternoon of November 15, 2023, a Randall’s Island Park worker spotted a hummingbird at the Urban Farm, a popular picnicking area filled with flowers. The next day, the park posted a video of the bird on Instagram, claiming it was a late Ruby-throated Hummingbird, while also stressing the importance of late-blooming wildflowers for lingering migrants like this one. But that comment raised all eyebrows: after all, this was November, a time ripe for birds from the west to show up in New York City.
The following day (Friday, November 17), some local birders who had seen the video set off to find the mysterious hummingbird and, luckily, were successful. The bird looked a lot like a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, but a few details seemed off, especially the constant pumping of the tail, which suggested it was a Black-chinned Hummingbird—a state first!
That afternoon, I saw a text about this bird posted on the New York Rare Bird Alert and instantly knew I had to chase it. Having worked in California’s Owens River Valley that past spring, I was very familiar with the species—It was one of the most common breeding birds around there, dazzling onlookers with their curious behavior and gorgeous courtship displays throughout riparian and suburban habitats. But none should be found as far east as this one was.
I arrived at the hummingbird site about an hour later to find dozens of birders already on the scene. A few minutes later, the bird showed up, appearing remarkably unconcerned by the crowd of humans as it fed on some purple wildflowers along the fence line. It was immediately apparent that this was no Ruby-throated Hummingbird, as it had more black on the face and throat and a bit more of an orange wash on its side than that species—and it was constantly pumping its tail. The bird may have called, but it couldn’t be heard over the endless shuttering of cameras.
Ever since that day, hundreds of people have flocked to Randall’s Island to catch a glimpse of this rare visitor from the west. As of Saturday, December 16, it was still present around the Urban Garden, coming to a feeder from time to time. This episode truly shows that you’ll never know what shows up in autumn.
— Jordan Spindel