Allen's Hummingbird

Allen's Hummingbird is a small, fiery hummingbird restricted almost entirely to a narrow strip along the Pacific coast, though a nonmigratory subspecies is resident on some southern California Channel Islands and now breeds on the adjacent mainland. Adult males typically show a green back and crown with rufous-orange flanks and tail, plus a brilliant orange-red gorget. Females and immatures closely resemble those of the Rufous Hummingbird, with a green back, rufous-washed flanks and tail base, and a lightly spotted throat.

Because Allen's and Rufous Hummingbirds overlap extensively in appearance, careful attention to range, season, and, when possible, tail feather shape is often needed for a confident identification.

Key Field Marks

• Male: green back and crown, orange-rufous flanks and tail, iridescent orange-red gorget
• Female/immature: green back, rufous tail base, lightly spotted throat — nearly identical to female Rufous Hummingbird
• Narrower, more pointed outer tail feathers than Rufous (best confirmed with a photo or in hand)
• Coastal southern range helps narrow down identification during breeding season

Similar Species

• Rufous Hummingbird is essentially indistinguishable in the field except by tail feather shape and a more solidly rufous back in most (not all) males.
• Broad-tailed and Calliope Hummingbirds have magenta, not orange, gorgets in males.

Habitat

Allen's Hummingbirds favor coastal scrub, chaparral, eucalyptus and riparian woodland edges, and residential gardens close to the immediate coast.

Range

The migratory mainland population breeds in a narrow coastal strip from central California to southern Oregon; a separate, nonmigratory subspecies is resident on California's Channel Islands and portions of the adjacent mainland coast.

Migration

Migratory populations winter mainly in central Mexico, arriving on the breeding grounds notably early in the year, sometimes by December or January.

Behavior

Males are highly territorial around flowering shrubs and feeders and perform a distinctive J-shaped or oval display dive, ending in a sharp mechanical burst of sound from the wings and tail.

Voice

Calls include sharp, buzzy chip notes and chase calls similar to those of the Rufous Hummingbird.

Feeding

They feed on nectar from flowering shrubs such as currant, gooseberry, and eucalyptus, along with small insects taken in flight or gleaned from foliage.

Nesting

Females build a small camouflaged cup nest in shrubs or low trees, often reusing nest material from previous seasons, and typically raise the young alone.