Nancy Newfield, a hummingbird bander from Metairie, LA, sent the following info: I am sure the ABA [American Birding Association] accepts this species for the US [or Lower 48 States] on the basis of previous California records, which are mentioned in the "American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds" [Seventh edition]. The Canadian record is too recent to be mentioned there. The operative criterion is whether or not the record is accepted by the state or provincial records committee [or other scientific or quasi-scientific body]. If the record is accepted [or becomes accepted] by whatever body covers records from British Columbia, then the ABA will surely recognize it for British Columbia. ...below is the original post that appeared on HUMNET about this marvelous sighting. Gene Hunn, Seattle, hunnhome@accessone.com Date: Sat, 22 Nov Gene Hunn, Seattle, hunnhome@accessone.com I made the run to Gibson's, B.C. this morning in hopes the Xantus' Hummer would still be there. It was. Seeming quite content with its periodic (every 20 minutes or so) feedings in the yard of our generous hosts there (whose names escape), who have gone so far as to provide a port-a-potty, expecting quite a crowd. As well they might, as this bird has to be one of the world's most bizarrely displaced individuals. Perhaps with the help of that hurricane that slashed across Baja and ended up in Arizona a while back. Xantus' Hummingbird is one of some 50-odd Mexican species of the family, this one peculiar in that it is endemic to southern Baja California, having occurred outside this narrow range but once before, in Ventura, California, I believe, in 1990. Being sedentary, locally endemic, and probably relatively uncommon overall, the likelihood of it turning up alive and well in Canada seems vanishingly small. Yet there it is. The American Ornithological Association checklist assigns it the name Hylocharis xantusii, which indicates that it is first cousin to the White-eared Hummingbird, Hylocharis leucotis, which is a rare visitor to SE Arizona and which nests widely throughout the high mountains of Mexico and Central America. However, Steve Howell and Sophie Webb, in their Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America -- which is the last word for south of the border -- it list it in the genus Basilinna, as B. xantusii. (I don't know when it was last included in Cynanthus, genus of the Broad-billed Hummer.) The common English name which seems standard now is Xantus' Hummingbird, not, Black-fronted Hummingbird. Howell & Webb cite for Spanish "Colibri de Xantus," a name I'm sure no Mexican wouldrecognize. I'm sure most would call it simply "chuparosa." The bird would appear to be an immature, possibly male. The illustration in the new Western Peterson guide does not do it justice, as it is a rather bright, though pale, cinnamon color on the entire underparts -- with some observers noting a few glittering emerald feathers across the chest (hence male?). The bill appears dark, unless in perfect light it might show some reddish orange at the base of the lower mandible. This is not as it is shown in Howell & Webb, where adult male and female are illustrated, both with red bills (though the texts says the female's bill is dark above). It looked to me rather like a female or immature Lucifer's, except for the reddish outer tail feathers, the rather short, though slightly decurved, bill), and the truly striking facial pattern, of broad whitish postocular stripe bordered below by an elongate blackish ear patch. The wings are also quite blackish; the crown, back, and rump a rather bright green. It fed as close as 2 meters from us at times, too close to focus. When perched it often gave a series of sharp tiik, tiik, tiik notes, reminiscent of a White-eared Hummer. It first appeared last weekend (ca. Nov. 16), feeding on some fuchsias growing in the garden (no feeders were up). At which the owners of the place put up three feeders. It still feeds mostly on its own. It was not identified until Thursday, Nov. 20. Hope this helps answer some of your questions. Gail Frantz Reisterstown, MD