Hey Jared,
You're correct, for the reasons you stated about Hammond's being in a fresh, yellowish plumage this time of year. In fact, they're so much so that often a stronger source of confusion right now is Western Flycatcher. But the small, all-dark bill and the long, thin sabre-like primary projection are good Hammond's cues. Not just the length, but the thin shape of those primaries with a noticeable gap between the 3rd and the 4th longest visible primary feathers.
David Tønnessen
On Tue, Sep 15, 2026, 9:25 AM Jared Del Rosso <jared.delrosso@gmail.com> wrote:
Had a tough empid in my Centennial yard last night. Everything--bill, primary extension, tail length, at least at variable angles of photos--seems intermediate between a Hammond's and Dusky, but I have very little experience with Hammond's. (One experience, to be precise.) A Hammond's would rate as a "good" yard bird here in Centennial. A Dusky would be, well, another Dusky, though any empid visit to a suburban yard is exciting.
The freshness and brightness of the plumage seems a good sign of a Hammond's, which molt before fall migration and are in, according to Kenn Kaufman, "very fresh plumage during fall migration, with buffy wing bars, fairly bright yellow on the belly and dark olive-gray on the chest" (but note I have no chest photos). But the paleness of the throat and the olive-green on the head seem a strike against it (to my inexperienced eyes).
Duskies don't molt until arriving on wintering grounds. Kaufman describes adults as "worn and drab" in fall; juveniles are "slightly more colorful...but these colors are fading rapidly as the late summer turns to fall."
The bill color seems closer to Hammond's to me -- mostly dark, but this seems to depend on the angle and clarity of the photo and seems fairly variable among birds anyway.
Photos below.
This photo gives me Hammond's vibes -- but are the primaries long enough? Certainly, the tail doesn't seem long to me. (I saw a Dusky in my yard a week or so ago, and the tail seemed much longer?) Bill looks small, no? Or is that the angle?
Clear shot of the primary extension. Seem neither long nor short. Same goes for the tail. A lot of olive-yellow, though.
I have a several more photos, but they're all mostly variants of these.
Any help and input appreciated!--
- Jared Del Rosso
Centennial, CO
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