Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird is the most common and familiar hummingbird along much of the Pacific Coast, thanks in large part to its ability to stay year-round in areas with mild winters and abundant garden flowers. Males are unmistakable in good light, with an iridescent rose-magenta crown and gorget that extends down over the throat—can look dull and dark when the light is wrong, a common identification pitfall. The back is emerald green and the underparts grayish.

Females lack the full colorful hood but usually show some rose-red spotting on the throat, along with a green back and grayish underparts.

Key field marks

• Male: iridescent rose-pink to magenta crown and throat (gorget) extending down the neck
• Female: green back, grayish underparts, variable rose spotting on throat
• Fairly stocky build for a hummingbird, relatively short bill

Similar species

• Costa's Hummingbird: male has a violet-purple gorget with extended points ('mustache') at the sides, smaller range overlap mostly in the desert Southwest.
• Black-chinned Hummingbird: male has a black throat with a thin purple base band, not extending in a full colorful hood.
• Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird: males show extensive orange-rufous coloring, quite different from Anna's green-and-rose pattern.

Range and habitat

Anna's Hummingbird is a year-round resident along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia south through California into northern Mexico, using gardens, chaparral, eucalyptus groves, and urban parks. Its range has expanded considerably over the past century, aided by ornamental flowering plants and backyard feeders.

Migration

Largely non-migratory; most individuals remain on or near their breeding territory throughout the year, though some altitudinal or short-distance movement occurs.

Behavior

Males are highly territorial around feeding areas and perform a dramatic courtship display: climbing to a great height before diving steeply toward a female or intruder, pulling up sharply near the bottom while producing a loud, explosive chirp made by the tail feathers.

Voice

Males give a scratchy, buzzy song from an exposed perch, unusual among North American hummingbirds for having a regularly repeated vocal song rather than just calls.

Feeding

Feeds on nectar from a wide range of native and ornamental flowers as well as sugar-water feeders, and catches small insects and spiders in flight or by gleaning.

Nesting and breeding

Builds a small cup nest of plant down and spider silk, often decorated with lichen, placed on a branch or even on man-made structures. Breeding can begin very early in the year, sometimes in midwinter in mild coastal climates. The female alone incubates 2 eggs and raises the young.