Hybridization in hummingbirds is relatively frequent (e.g., Banks and Johnson 1961, Short and Phillips 1966, Wells et al. 1978, Pyle 1997), posing potential pitfalls for banders and other field ornithologists working with the Trochilidae. Adult males excepted, most North American hummingbirds are similar enough that most hybrids will almost certainly escape detection, even in the hand; moreover, only males showing a markedly "wrong" combination of characters are likely to stand out as hybrids. Just as hybrids must be considered prior to the identification of a rare gull, so must they be with hummingbirds.