Anna's Hummingbird Facts

The Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) was named after the 19th century Italian duchess Anna De Belle Massena.

What they look like: Anna's Hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird, 4 inches in length, with iridescent green back and grayish-white underparts and greenish or golden flanks. The colorful adult male has an iridescent rosy-red crown and gorget that extends to the sides of the neck, and a partial pale eye-ring (see photos below). The female has an overall dusky appearance with a green back and gray throat patch (see photo to the right). Females have green heads, with a small amount of red on their throats. Immatures look like the adult female.

Where they live:

Originally found only on the Pacific slope from Baja California to San Francisco, Anna's Hummingbird has increased its population and expanded its breeding range in recent years to Vancouver, British Columbia, east to southern Arizona. (Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology)

Anna's Hummingbird appears throughout the year in the Puget Sound region of western Washington. The increasing popularity of hummingbird feeders and of urban plantings that provide flowers in blossom year-round are the major reasons for the range expansion of Anna’s Hummingbird northward into Washington.

What they eat: Anna's Hummingbirds feed on nectar from flowers and feeders, as well as small insects and spiders. This hummingbird consumes more insects than any of the other North American hummingbirds, catching small flying insects on the wing. Plucks spiders and trapped insects from spider webs. They also visit sapsucker holes and feed on sap and insects attracted to the holes. (Seattle Audubon Society)

Nesting: As is the case with other hummingbird species, male and female Anna's Hummingbirds associate only long enough to mate. The female is responsible for construction of the nest and care of the young. The breeding season begins in December and usually lasts until May or June. There are typically 1 or 2 eggs per nest. The hummingbird eggs are roughly the size and shape of a small jellybean.

Did you know?

• Anna's Hummingbird wings beat about 40-50 times per second in normal flight.
• Hummingbirds fly about 25mph in normal flight and up to 40mph in a courtship dive.
• The heart beats about 250 times per minute while at rest, about 1,220 per minute while flying, but slows to 50 beats per minute at night.
• It takes about 250 breaths per minute while at rest.
• Hummingbirds are lightweights - they have a mass of about 3-4g (a nickel weighs about 5g)
• They nearly double their mass prior to migration by putting on extra fat.
• A hummingbird can consume up to 50% of its weight in nectar each day.
• In their non-stop quest for fuel, Hummingbirds may visit 1,000 flowers per day.
• The hummingbird's nest is slightly bigger than a walnut.
• A hummingbird's egg is about the size of a small jellybean.

source: rubythroat.org

The colors of the crown and throat appear to change when this male turns its head. From a side view, the head looks gray, but from a face-on view, the rose color of this male is displayed. (This is the same individual in all photos)   An adult male Anna's Hummingbird hovering near a feeder.

Anna's Hummingbird Silhouette

More information: BirdWeb: Anna's Hummingbird   All About Birds: Anna's Hummingbird

More photos: Anna's Hummingbird Photos on the Wildlife Web