Allen's Hummingbird

Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) is a small, aggressive hummingbird native to the narrow coastal strip of western North America. Renowned for its stunning, iridescent copper-orange throat and contrasting green back, this species is a dazzling aerial acrobat. It is a highly territorial bird, often seen defending nectar sources against much larger birds. Two subspecies exist: the migratory Selasphorus sasin sasin, which travels between Oregon/California and central Mexico, and the non-migratory Selasphorus sasin sedentarius, which resides year-round in the Channel Islands and coastal southern California.

Adult males are easily identified by their brilliant iridescent reddish-orange gorget (throat patch), vibrant green crown and back, and rufous-orange rump, tail, and flanks. Females and immatures present an identification challenge: they have bronze-green backs, white underparts, pale rufous flanks, and a throat speckled with iridescent bronze-to-red spots. Distinguishing from Rufous Hummingbird: The male Allen's is best separated by its solid green back, whereas the male Rufous typically has a solid rufous back (though a small fraction of Rufous males can show green backs). Females and immatures of Allen's and Rufous are virtually identical in the field; reliable separation is only possible through close-up hand inspection of the outermost tail feathers (R5), which are notably narrower in Allen's Hummingbird.

The breeding habitat of Allen's Hummingbird is exceptionally narrow, restricted to a thin strip of coastal scrub, chaparral, and forest edges along the Pacific Coast from southern Oregon to southern California. Highly adaptable to urban environments, they are frequent visitors to coastal suburban gardens and parks filled with nectar-producing flowers and feeders. Migratory populations travel south along the coastal mountain ranges to winter in central Mexico, returning early in the spring, often as early as January or February, to begin nesting.

Extremely dynamic and aggressive, Allen's Hummingbirds aggressively defend feeding territories, dive-bombing intruders of any size. Courtship Flight: During breeding season, males perform a marvelous two-part aerial display. First, they fly in a broad, J-shaped pendulum-like arc back and forth in front of a female, making a sharp whirring sound with their wings. Then, they shoot straight up to heights of 30 meters (100 feet) before plunging into an almost vertical, high-speed dive, pulling out at the last second with a sharp, metallic squeaking sound produced by air rushing through their tail feathers. Feeding & Vocalization: They feed by hovering to probe flowers for nectar and flycatching mid-air to catch tiny gnats. Their call is a flat, sharp 'tsk' or 'cluck' note, accompanied by a rapid buzzy chatter when defending their turf.