Anna's Hummingbird

The reason the West Coast never takes its feeders down. Anna's Hummingbirds live along the Pacific slope all year, singing through the winter rains and nesting as early as December — earlier than nearly any other North American bird. Over the past century they've expanded from California chaparral to gardens from Vancouver to Tucson.

Range

Year-round from Baja California through California, western Oregon and Washington into southwestern British Columbia, and east into southern Arizona. Post-breeding wanderers reach the Rockies and, increasingly, southern Alaska.

Migration timing

Essentially non-migratory — the same neighborhoods host them in January and July. Courtship begins with winter rains (December–February in California), and the display is unforgettable: the male climbs 100+ feet and dives, producing a loud chirp with his tail feathers at the bottom of the plunge.

How to identify one

• Male: entire head and throat iridescent rose-pink — the only US hummingbird with a fully colored crown
• Female: green above, gray below, usually a small central patch of red throat spangles
• Noticeably chunky and vocal; the scratchy, jumbled song is given year-round

At the feeder

Winter feeding matters here: in a cold snap an Anna's may get a large share of its calories from a feeder. Bring feeders in at night when temperatures drop below freezing, rotate two feeders, or use a feeder heater — Pacific Northwest birders treat a thawed January feeder as a point of honor.

Where to find the Anna's Hummingbird

FeederDates › Hummingbirds › Species › Anna's Hummingbird