What Is Anna's Hummingbird? Discover Its Unique Traits

The Anna's Hummingbird (scientific name: Calypte anna) is a fascinating medium-sized hummingbird native to the west coast of North America. What sets this species apart is its ability to thrive year-round in the Pacific Northwest, even during the cold winter months. Males are particularly striking, easily recognized by their iridescent rose-red crown and throat, which create a stunning full hood when illuminated by sunlight. According to the IUCN, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC), with a population trend that is actually on the rise.

• Common Name: Anna's Hummingbird
• Scientific Name: Calypte anna
• ORDER: Apodiformes
• FAMILY: Trochilidae
• Least Concern (LC): The population continues to grow, with no immediate threats to its survival.

Photo: Sia McGown · Macaulay Library

How to Identify an Anna's Hummingbird at a Glance: Key Features

✅ Size

Anna's Hummingbird measures approximately 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length, making it roughly comparable in size to a sparrow. Within the hummingbird family, it falls into the medium-to-large range, and interestingly, it is the largest hummingbird species that inhabits the West Coast.

✅ Shape and Silhouette

This bird features a medium-length bill and a broad tail, giving it an overall impression of being stocky, robust, and sturdy in build.

✅ Range

Most commonly found along the West Coast of North America, Anna's Hummingbird thrives particularly in the Pacific coastal region, where it is present throughout the entire year.

✅ Timing

Along with Allen's Hummingbird, it is one of only two hummingbird species that remain in the United States and Canada year-round. In fact, Anna's Hummingbird is the most common year-round resident hummingbird along the West Coast of North America, especially in the Pacific coastal region.

Key Features for Reliable Identification of Anna's Hummingbird

🔴 Distinctive Characteristics of Adult Males

Identifying the adult male Anna's Hummingbird is a delightful experience for bird watchers. Here are the standout features:

• Key Feature: Iridescent rose-red or magenta full hood extending from forehead to throat.
• Differentiation: Unlike most North American hummingbirds, where bright color is only on the throat, Anna's male displays a seamless hood.
• Body: Bronzy-green iridescent back with a pale gray chest and green-washed belly.
• Tail: Relatively long with a slightly forked tip.

Photo: Mason Maron · Macaulay Library

🟢 Identifying Features of Adult Females

Adult female Anna's Hummingbirds possess unique traits that set them apart. Here’s what to look for:

• Overall Appearance: Metallic green back, pale grayish-white underparts.
• Throat Patch: May have a small central patch of metallic red/purple, resembling a few drops of red ink splattered.
• Face: Small white spot visible behind the eye.
• Tail: Metallic green center with dark outer feathers tipped in white.

🐣 Identifying Immature Anna's Hummingbirds

Immature Anna's Hummingbirds exhibit distinct features that differ from adults. Here’s how to identify them:

• Immature Male: Scattered bright feathers on throat and crown; tail shape less rounded than adult female.
• Immature Female: Pale brown overall; no metallic colored feathers in throat region.

Discovering the Range and Distribution of Anna's Hummingbird

Where to Find Anna's Hummingbird: Key Locations

Curious about where you can spot the vibrant Anna's Hummingbird? This remarkable bird has a diverse range that varies by season.

• Year-Round Residents: Along the Pacific Slope, including Vancouver Island, coastal British Columbia, the Channel Islands, Washington, Oregon, and southwestern Idaho.
• Breeding Season: Predominantly found throughout California.
• Non-Breeding Season: Their distribution widens across the Southwest, extending into northern Mexico and reaching as far east as West Texas.

Photo: Birds of the World

Understanding Seasonal Movement: Altitudinal Migration Explained

Have You Ever wondered how Anna's Hummingbird migrates? Unlike many other hummingbirds that undertake long-distance journeys, Anna's Hummingbird exhibits a fascinating altitudinal migration pattern.

Summer Movement: During the warmer months, many individuals migrate from the coastal valleys and lowlands to higher mountain elevations. This seasonal shift allows them to take advantage of blooming wildflowers.

Backyard birders may notice that the hummingbirds at their feeders in winter seem to vanish for a time during the summer months.

Winter Movement: As winter approaches, these birds return to lower elevations and urban gardens, where feeders and ornamental plants provide a consistent food source.

An Expanding Range: The Growth of Anna's Hummingbird Population

Historically, Anna's Hummingbird was primarily found in California and Baja California. However, since the 1960s, its range has significantly expanded both northward and eastward.

Several factors have contributed to this remarkable expansion:

• Proliferation of Hummingbird Feeders: The availability of artificial nectar sources has played a crucial role.
• Widespread Planting of Exotic Flowering Species: Notably, the introduction of Eucalyptus and Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) has provided additional food sources.

📌 In a Nutshell: Anna's Range & Habits 📍 Core Range: Pacific Slope year-round (BC to CA). 🏔️ Migration Pattern: Altitudinal — Moves uphill in summer for wildflowers, downhill in winter for feeders. 📈 Trend: Expanding East & North thanks to exotic plants and backyard feeders.

Attracting Anna's Hummingbird to Your Backyard

Feeder Strategies

Anna's Hummingbird is highly territorial. A single male will often claim ownership of a feeder or even an entire backyard.

• Nectar Recipe: The standard hummingbird nectar recipe applies to Anna's Hummingbird as well. Use a 1:4 ratio (one part white granulated sugar to four parts water). No red dye or additional coloring is necessary .
• Multiple Feeder Placement: Place several feeders throughout your yard to accommodate multiple hummingbirds.
• Visual Barriers: Use plants and shrubs as natural screens between feeders as visual barriers.
• Deal with Troublemakers: If one bird still dominates all feeders, it may be that the barriers are not working from the bird's perspective. In that case, remove the feeder and try hanging it in a different location.

Winter Care and Freeze Prevention

Unlike most hummingbird species, Anna's Hummingbird may overwinter in your backyard.

At night, Hummingbirds enter an energy-saving state called torpor. Torpor means a sleep-like state during which its heart rate and body temperature drop dramatically.

Hummingbirds are extremely small and carry virtually no energy reserves. When they awaken at dawn, those reserves are completely depleted, and they require an immediate source of fuel .

Photo: Mason Maron · Macaulay Library

A Note on Diet: The Importance of Insects

This native plants supports the insect populations these birds need to survive. Compared to other hummingbird species that rely more heavily on nectar, Anna's Hummingbird consumes a significantly higher proportion of insects and spiders in its diet.

A garden full of native plants naturally attracts the small insects and spiders that make up this crucial part of their diet, creating a truly healthy ecosystem for Anna's Hummingbird.

📌 In a Nutshell: Backyard Success with Anna's Hummingbird 🍯 Feeder Tip: Use multiple feeders with visual barriers to manage territorial males. Never use red dye. ❄️ Winter Essential: Keep nectar liquid at dawn, bring feeders in overnight or use a heater. 🌿 Habitat Hack: Plant Western natives to support their insect-rich diet. Anna's eats more bugs than most hummers.

Photo: Marlene Cashen · Macaulay Library

Engaging Fun Facts About Anna's Hummingbird

Understanding Defense and Social Behavior

While Anna's hummingbirds are generally solitary creatures, they exhibit remarkable bravery when it comes to protecting their nests. In the face of a predator, the female takes on a fierce role, mobbing the intruder to defend her young.

• Defensive Maneuver: She defends herself and her young by hovering directly in front of the intruder, rapidly beating her wings, and striking at its head and back.
• Foraging Preference: These birds tend to avoid low-lying food sources, showing a distinct preference for higher feeders and elevated flowers, likely offering a better vantage point against potential threats.

Photo: Alex Chen · Macaulay Library

How Male Anna's Hummingbirds Perform Courtship Displays

The courtship display of the male Anna's Hummingbird is truly one of nature's most breathtaking aerial performances, famously known as the "J-shaped dive." This spectacular display not only captivates the female but also showcases the male's agility and strength.

Here’s a breakdown of the dive sequence:

• Ascent: The display begins with the male hovering in midair while producing a buzzing song. He then ascends to approximately 35 meters (100 feet) or higher.
• The Plunge: He plunges into a steep, dramatic dive toward the female below. At the bottom of the dive, the male reaches speeds of approximately 97 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour), pulling up sharply just as he passes over the female (or a rival male).
• The Sound: At this critical moment, he flares his tail feathers, and the rush of air through the specialized outer tail feathers produces an explosive, high-pitched chirp or squeak.

Photo: PubMed Central

Physiological Extremes of the Dive:

This maneuver is not just visually stunning; it is also physiologically extreme.

• At the bottom of the pull-up, the male experiences centripetal acceleration of nearly nine times the force of gravity (9 g's).
• This represents the highest reported g-force sustained during a voluntary aerial maneuver by any vertebrate, with the sole exception of jet fighter pilots.

Additional Display Behaviors to Note:

• Shuttle Display: In addition to the dive, the male performs a shuttle display directly in front of the female, flying rapidly back and forth in a short, tight arc.
• Perched Song: While perched, males also produce a distinctive, complex song characterized by a scratchy, metallic quality.

Photo: PubMed Central

The Cultural Significance of Anna's Hummingbird

According to the Barona Cultural Center & Museum, Anna's Hummingbird holds a special place in the traditional knowledge of the Kumeyaay People, the original inhabitants of what is now San Diego County and northern Baja California. This bird is not only admired for its beauty but also revered for its cultural symbolism.

• In the 'Iipay Aa language, this bird is called Hampaashuuk.
• Because Hampaashuuk flies so fast, backwards and forwards, Kumeyaay people think that they are very powerful birds.

The scientific naming of this species also carries historical significance. Anna's Hummingbird was named in honor of Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli.

• The species was formally described in 1829 by the French naturalist René Primevère Lesson, who chose the specific epithet anna to honor the Duchess, wife of François Victor Masséna, an amateur ornithologist and collector.
• This elegant naming tradition reflects the 19th-century European practice of recognizing noble patrons of the natural sciences.

📌 In a Nutshell: Culture, Combat & Courtship 🪶 Name Origins: Called Hampaashuuk by Kumeyaay People (meaning "powerful bird"). Scientifically named for Duchess Anna Masséna in 1829. 🛡️ Defense: Females mob predators by hovering and striking at the head. Prefer elevated feeders for safety. ✈️ The Dive: The "J-shaped dive" reaches 97 km/h (60 mph) and pulls 9 g's, a record for voluntary vertebrate maneuvers, rivaled only by fighter pilots.

Essential References for Anna's Hummingbird

For anyone looking to deepen their understanding of Anna's Hummingbird, the following resources provide valuable insights and information.

Audubon Field Guide: Anna's Hummingbird

All About Birds: Anna's Hummingbird Identification

Encyclopedia of Life: Anna's Hummingbird Articles

ABC Birds: Anna's Hummingbird Overview

National Park Service: Anna's Hummingbird

iNaturalist: Anna's Hummingbird Guide

Barona Museum: Hampaashuuk

EnviroLiteracy: Differences Between Anna's and Black-Chinned Hummingbirds

Animal Diversity: Calypte anna Profile

HeraldNet: Keeping Feeders Flowing for Hummingbirds

Birds of the World: Introduction to Anna's Hummingbird

PubMed Central: Research Articles on Anna's Hummingbird

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Anna's Hummingbird known for?

Anna's Hummingbird is known for its striking iridescent rose-red crown and throat, which create a stunning display when illuminated by sunlight. This medium-sized hummingbird is unique for thriving year-round in the Pacific Northwest, even during cold winters.

Where can I find Anna's Hummingbird?

Anna's Hummingbird is primarily found along the West Coast of North America, particularly in the Pacific coastal region. It is the most common year-round resident hummingbird in this area.

How big is Anna's Hummingbird?

Anna's Hummingbird measures approximately 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length, making it comparable in size to a sparrow. It is considered one of the larger hummingbird species inhabiting the West Coast.

Is Anna's Hummingbird endangered?

No, Anna's Hummingbird is classified as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN, with a population that continues to grow and no immediate threats to its survival.

What are the key features to identify Anna's Hummingbird?

Key features for identifying Anna's Hummingbird include its medium-length bill, broad tail, and robust build. The males are particularly recognizable due to their vibrant rose-red crown and throat.