Front:
EHINGTON
JUN
15
1992
20066
29
Belke
WASHI
DC
Rufous Hummingbird
Back:
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD
First Day of Issue: June 15, 1992
First Issue Location: Washington, D.C.
Although packed into a pretty, pint-sized package, the
Rufous Hummingbird has the heart of a pugnacious
fighter. No other North American hummingbird exhibits
as much aggressiveness as this rusty little visitor from the
Far North. At the feeder, the Rufous Hummingbird takes
on all challengers, chasing away the less assertive Broad-
tailed Hummingbirds and even the much larger songbirds
with a soft spot for sugar water. And not only is the Rufous
a fighter, he's a sojourner as well. Of all the hummingbirds
on the continent, the Rufous is one of the most well
traveled. In the spring, the tiny, fiery bird will zip north up
the Pacific Coast as far as Alaska and the Yukon Territory
to breed and nest. Late summer finds him heading south
through the Rockies and eventually all the way to Mexico.
In all, the average Rufous Hummingbird will travel 6,000
miles in a year — a far cry from the migrations of such
homebodies as the Costa's Hummingbird.
No. 92-50
First Day of Issue Postcard Collection
©1992 Fleetwood, Cheyenne, WY 82008-0001
Original painting for the First Day of Issue Postcard by Don Balke
Fleetwood
OFFICIAL FIRST DAY OF ISSUE POSTCARD
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETYⓇ
