Skip to Content
Abert’s Towhee Acadian Flycatcher Acorn Woodpecker Alder Flycatcher Allen’s Hummingbird Altamira Oriole American Avocet American Bittern American Black Duck American Coot American Crow American Dipper American Golden-Plover American Goldfinch American Kestrel American Oystercatcher American Pipit American Redstart American Robin American Three-toed Woodpecker American Tree Sparrows American White Pelican American Wigeon American Woodcock Anhinga Anna’s Hummingbird Arctic Tern Arizona Woodpecker Ash-Throated Flycatcher Atlantic Puffin Audubon’s Oriole Bachman’s Sparrow Baird’s Sandpiper Baird’s Sparrow Bald Eagle Baltimore Oriole Band-tailed Pigeon Bank Swallow Barn Owl Barn Swallow Barred Owl Barrow’s Goldeneye Bay-breasted Warbler Bell’s Vireo Belted Kingfisher Bendire’s Thrasher Bewick’s Wren Black Guillemot Black Oystercatcher Black Phoebe Black Rail Black Rosy-Finch Black Scoter Black Skimmer Black Swift Black Tern Black Turnstone Black Vulture Black-and-white Warbler Black-backed Woodpecker Black-bellied Plover Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Black-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Magpie Black-capped Chickadee Black-capped Vireo Black-chinned Hummingbird Black-chinned Sparrow Black-crested Titmouse Black-crowned Night-Heron Black-footed Albatross Black-headed Grosbeak Black-legged Kittiwake Black-necked Stilt Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Black-throated Sparrow Blackburnian Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Blue Grosbeak Blue Jay Blue-footed Booby Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Blue-headed Vireo Blue-throated Hummingbird Blue-winged Teal Blue-winged Warbler Boat-tailed Grackle Bobolink Bohemian Waxwing Bonaparte’s Gull Boreal Chickadee Boreal Owl Botteri’s Sparrow Brandt’s Cormorant Brant Brewer’s Blackbird Brewer’s Sparrow Bridled Titmouse Broad-billed Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Broad-winged Hawk Bronzed Cowbird Brown Booby Brown Creeper Brown Pelican Brown Thrasher Brown-capped Rosy-Finch Brown-headed Cowbird Brown-headed Nuthatch Buff-bellied Hummingbird Buff-breasted Flycatcher Buff-breasted Sandpiper Bufflehead Bullock’s Oriole Burrowing Owl Bushtit Cackling Goose Cactus Wren California Condor California Gull California Quail California Thrasher California Towhee Calliope Hummingbird Canada Goose Canada Jay (Previously Gray Jay) Canada Warbler Canvasback Canyon Towhee Canyon Wren Cape May Warbler Carolina Chickadee Carolina Wren Caspian Tern Cassin’s Auklet Cassin’s Finch Cassin’s Kingbird Cassin’s Sparrow Cassin’s Vireo Cattle Egret Cave Swallow Cedar Waxwing Cerulean Warbler Chestnut-backed Chickadee Chestnut-collared Longspur Chestnut-sided Warbler Chihuahuan Raven Chimney Swift Chipping Sparrow Chuck-will’s-widow Chukar Cinnamon Teal Clapper Rail Clark’s Grebe Clark’s Nutcracker Clay-colored Sparrow Cliff Swallow Colima Warbler Common Eider Common Gallinule Common Goldeneye Common Grackle Common Ground-Dove Common Loon Common Merganser Common Murre Common Nighthawk Common Pauraque Common Poorwill Common Raven Common Redpoll Common Tern Common Yellowthroat Connecticut Warbler Cooper’s Hawk Cordilleran Flycatcher Costa’s Hummingbird Couch’s Kingbird Crescent-chested Warbler Crested Caracara Crissal Thrasher Curve-billed Thrasher Dark-eyed Junco Dickcissel Double-crested Cormorant Dovekie Downy Woodpecker Dunlin Dusky Flycatcher Dusky Grouse Eared Grebe Eastern Bluebird Eastern Kingbird Eastern Meadowlark Eastern Phoebe Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Towhee Eastern Whip-poor-will Eastern Wood-Pewee Elegant Tern Elf Owl Emperor Goose Eurasian Collared-Dove Eurasian Tree Sparrow Eurasian Wigeon European Starling Evening Grosbeak Ferruginous Hawk Field Sparrow Fish Crow Flammulated Owl Florida Scrub-Jay Forster’s Tern Fox Sparrow Franklin’s Gull Fulvous Whistling-Duck Gadwall Gambel’s Quail Gila Woodpecker Gilded Flicker Glaucous Gull Glaucous-winged Gull Glossy Ibis Golden Eagle Golden-cheeked Warbler Golden-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Warbler Golden-fronted Woodpecker Golden-winged Warbler Grace’s Warbler Grasshopper Sparrow Gray Catbird Gray Flycatcher Gray Kingbird Gray Partridge Gray Vireo Gray-cheeked Thrush Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Great Black-backed Gull Great Blue Heron Great Cormorant Great Crested Flycatcher Great Egret Great Gray Owl Great Horned Owl Great Kiskadee Great-tailed Grackle Greater Pewee Greater Prairie-Chicken Greater Roadrunner Greater Sage-Grouse Greater Scaup Greater White-fronted Goose Greater Yellowlegs Green Heron Green Jay Green-tailed-towhee Green-winged Teal Groove-billed Ani Gull-billed Tern Gunnison Sage-Grouse Gyrfalcon Hairy Woodpecker Hammond’s Flycatcher Harlequin Duck Harris’s Hawk Harris’s Sparrow Heermann’s Gull Henslow’s Sparrow Hepatic Tanager Hermit Thrush Hermit Warbler Herring Gull Hoary Redpoll Hooded Merganser Hooded Oriole Hooded Warbler Horned Grebe Horned Lark Horned Puffin House Finch House Sparrow House Wren Hudsonian Godwit Hutton’s Vireo Inca Dove Indigo Bunting Ivory-billed Woodpecker Juniper Titmouse Kentucky Warbler Killdeer King Eider King Rail Kirtland’s Warbler Ladder-backed Woodpecker Lapland Longspur Lark Bunting Lark Sparrow Laughing Gull Lawrence’s Goldfinch Lazuli Bunting Le Conte’s Sparrow Le Conte’s Thrasher Least Bittern Least Flycatcher Least Grebe Least Sandpiper Least Tern Lesser Black-backed Gull Lesser Goldfinch Lesser Prairie-Chicken Lesser Scaup Lesser Yellowlegs Lewis’s Woodpecker Limpkin Lincoln’s Sparrow Little Blue Heron Loggerhead Shrike Long-billed Curlew Long-billed Dowitcher Long-eared Owl Long-tailed Duck Louisiana Waterthrush Lucifer Hummingbird Lucy’s Warbler MacGillivray’s Warbler Magnificent Frigatebird Magnificent Hummingbird Magnolia Warbler Mallard Mangrove Cuckoo Marbled Godwit Marsh Wren Masked Duck McCown’s Longspur Merlin Mew Gull Mexican Jay Mississippi Kite Montezuma Quail Mottled Duck Mountain Bluebird Mountain Chickadee Mountain Plover Mountain Quail Mourning Dove Mourning Warbler Mute Swan Nashville Warbler Neotropic Cormorant Northern Bobwhite Northern Cardinal Northern Flicker Northern Fulmar Northern Gannet Northern Goshawk Northern Harrier Northern Hawk Owl Northern Mockingbird Northern Parula Northern Pintail Northern Rough-winged Swallow Northern Saw-whet Owl Northern Shoveler Northern Shrike Northern Waterthrush Northwestern Crow Nuttall’s Woodpecker Oak Titmouse Olive-sided Flycatcher Orange-crowned Warbler Orchard Oriole Osprey Ovenbird Pacific Golden-Plover Pacific Loon Pacific-slope Flycatcher Painted Bunting Painted Redstart Palm Warbler Pectoral Sandpiper Pelagic Cormorant Peregrine Falcon Phainopepla Philadelphia Vireo Pied-billed Grebe Pigeon Guillemot Pileated Woodpecker Pine Grosbeak Pine Siskin Pine Warbler Pinyon Jay Piping Plover Plain Chachalaca Plumbeous Vireo Prairie Falcon Prairie Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Purple Finch Purple Gallinule Purple Martin Purple Sandpiper Pygmy Nuthatch Pyrrhuloxia Razorbill Red Crossbill Red Knot Red Phalarope Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-breasted Merganser Red-breasted Nuthatch Red-breasted Sapsucker Red-cockaded Woodpecker Red-eyed Vireo Red-faced Warbler Red-headed Woodpecker Red-naped Sapsucker Red-necked Grebe Red-necked Phalarope Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Red-throated Loon Red-winged Blackbird Reddish Egret Redhead Ring-billed Gull Ring-necked Duck Ring-necked Pheasant Rock Pigeon Rock Ptarmigan Rock Sandpiper Rose-breasted Grosbeak Roseate Spoonbill Roseate Tern Ross’s Goose Rough-legged Hawk Royal Tern Ruby-crowned Kinglet Ruby-throated Hummingbird Ruddy Duck Ruddy Turnstone Ruffed Grouse Rufous Hummingbird Rufous-capped Warbler Rufous-winged Sparrow Rusty Blackbird Sabine’s Gull Sage Sparrow Sage Thrasher Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow Sanderling Sandhill Crane Sandwich Tern Savannah Sparrow Say’s Phoebe Scaled Quail Scarlet Tanager Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Scott’s Oriole Seaside Sparrow Sedge Wren Semipalmated Plover Semipalmated Sandpiper Sharp-shinned Hawk Sharp-tailed Grouse Short-billed Dowitcher Short-eared Owl Slate-throated Redstart Smith’s Longspur Smooth-billed Ani Snail Kite Snow Bunting Snow Goose Snowy Egret Snowy Plover Solitary Sandpiper Song Sparrow Sooty Grouse Sora Spotted Owl Spotted Sandpiper Spotted Towhee Sprague’s Pipit Spruce Grouse Steller’s Jay Stilt Sandpiper Summer Tanager Surf Scoter Surfbird Swainson’s Hawk Swainson’s Thrush Swainson’s Warbler Swallow-tailed Kite Swamp Sparrow Tennessee Warbler Thick-billed Murre Townsend’s Solitaire Townsend’s Warbler Tree Swallow Tricolored Heron Tropical Kingbird Trumpeter Swan Tufted Puffin Tufted Titmouse Tundra Swan Turkey Vulture Upland Sandpiper Varied Bunting Varied Thrush Vaux’s Swift Veery Verdin Vermilion Flycatcher Vesper Sparrow Violet-green Swallow Virginia Rail Virginia’s Warbler Warbling Vireo Western Bluebird Western Grebe Western Gull Western Kingbird Western Sandpiper Western Screech-Owl Western Tanager Western Wood-Pewee Western-Meadowlark Whimbrel White Ibis White-breasted Nuthatch White-crowned Pigeon White-crowned Sparrow White-eyed Vireo White-faced Ibis White-headed Woodpecker White-rumped Sandpiper White-tailed Hawk White-tailed Kite White-tailed Ptarmigan White-throated Sparrow White-throated Swift White-tipped Dove White-winged Crossbill White-winged Dove White-winged Scoter Whooping Crane Wild Turkey Willet Williamson’s Sapsucker Willow Flycatcher Willow Ptarmigan Wilson’s Phalarope Wilson’s Plover Wilson’s Snipe Wilson’s Warbler Winter Wren Wood Duck Wood Stork Wood Thrush Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay Worm-eating Warbler Wrentit Yellow Rail Yellow Warbler Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Yellow-billed Cuckoo Yellow-billed Magpie Yellow-breasted Chat Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-headed Blackbird Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-throated Vireo Yellow-throated Warbler Zone-tailed Hawk

Anna’s Hummingbird

As one of the few hummingbird species that are non-migratory, these small creatures stay in their breeding range year-round.

Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) is a stunning species of hummingbird native to the western part of North America.

Their iridescent green plumage and dazzling reddish-pink throats and crowns set them apart from most other hummingbird species.

Their nest is about the size of a walnut, their egg the size of a jellybean, and the birds themselves weigh the same as a nickel.

 

Breeding Male

Male Anna’s Hummingbirds have a green back with bronze iridescence, green flanks, a gray underside, and a reddish-pink crown and throat.

Without sunlight, its crown and throat may appear gray or dull brown. Its dark tail is forked, and the bird has a pale line above its black eyes.

annas-hummingbird

 

Female

Female Anna’s Hummingbirds have duller plumage than males. Its upperside is metallic green, its flanks dirty green, its underside is gray, and it has reddish or purplish spotting on the throat.

Unlike males, females tend to have a more rounded tail.

Female Anna's Hummingbird

Female Anna’s Hummingbird

 

Juvenile

Anna’s Hummingbirds may have 2 or even 3 broods a year and lay 2 pure white eggs on average. The female incubates the eggs alone for 14-19 days and the young take their first flight at about 18-23 days after hatching. The young reach independence at around a week or two after hatching.

Juvenile Anna’s Hummingbirds generally resemble females, although there are some variations. Males have reddish or purplish patches on their crowns and throats and have less rounded tails. Juvenile and immature females lack the colorful patches and the overall metallic sheen and their tails are more rounded.

These birds are quite stocky for a hummingbird and grow up to 4 inches in length and weigh around 0.1-0.2 ounces.

 

 

Habitat

Anna’s Hummingbird’s habitats are situated in both rural and suburban settings, such as open woods, chaparral, and shrubs but also parks and gardens. They prefer to live around eucalyptus trees.

During the breeding season, males inhabit more open habitats, whereas females live in trees that offer cover and protection.

Male and female Anna's Hummingbirds

Anna’s Hummingbirds nest in trees or shrubs. The female builds the nest on their own on a horizontal branch 4-25 feet high, preferring eucalyptus, oak, and sycamore trees.

Nests are about one inch tall and under two inches in diameter. It’s a cup made of plant fibers that are interwoven with spider webs and lined with soft materials, such as hair, feathers, or plants.

The mother bird covers the outside of the nest with lichen, moss, leaves, bark, or even paint chips to camouflage it.

 

Diet

Anna’s Hummingbirds are primarily herbivores and have two sources of plant food. The main component of their diet is flower nectar which they extract by hovering over flowers and extending their tongue into them.

Some of their favorites include currant, eucalyptus, gooseberry, and sage. They may also eat tree sap and visit hummingbird feeders for sugar water.

These hummingbirds feed on small insects as well. They capture them mid-air, snatch them from spider webs, or pluck them from flowers. The primary targets include leaf hoppers, midges, and whiteflies.

 

Behavior

Anna’s Hummingbirds are quite solitary and territorial, only coming together to mate and even then don’t form pairs. Females build the nest, incubate the eggs, and raise the young on their own.

Anna's Hummingbird

As they’re protective of their territory, they will dive at anything that intrudes on it. If a predator tries to attack a nest, the female will hover in front of the assailant and attack its head and back.

As a defense mechanism, they will also avoid lower food sources and prefer higher flowers and feeders.

 

Range (and seasonal changes)

Anna’s Hummingbirds range extends along the western coast of North America. They can be found from northern Canada to the northernmost areas of Central America, and further inland in the southwestern United States.

These hummingbirds are permanent residents throughout most of their range, although some migration occurs. During the summer, they can be found at higher elevations but they move down to lower ones for the winter. Their breeding area covers the range from British Columbia to Arizona and New Mexico.

Anna’s Hummingbirds are listed as of least concern on the IUCN Red List. They are almost 7 million mature individuals strong, and their wintering range and population are increasing.

 

Wing shape

Hummingbird wings are quite small, narrow, and very thin at the leading edge. Their main flight feathers slide during the flight and change the shape and surface area of the wing to keep the bird airborne and hovering.

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird

For hovering, the birds have a couple of unique adaptations. Their long chest bone allows for large wing muscles and more muscle connections to flap rapidly during the flight.

This, coupled with a shortened arm bone which enables them to move their wings in the shape of figure eight, allows them to hover, fly both forwards and backward, and gives them exceptional maneuverability.

 

Fun Facts

  • These hummingbirds can shake their bodies 55 times per second to shake off rain, pollen, or dirt.
  • During the day, Anna’s Hummingbirds have a body temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit. At night, they may become torpid and they’re able to survive cold times by entering a state of torpor which also lowers their body temperature. As the weather and temperature become suitable again, the hummingbird will become active again.
  • Male Anna’s Hummingbirds perform steep dives during courtship which can reach 40mph. Their usual flight speed is 25mph and their wings beat around 40-50 times per second.
  • The oldest known wild Anna’s Hummingbirds lived for 8 years and 2 months.

 

Call

Anna’s Hummingbirds make distinctive sounds and their song is quite long for a hummingbird, lasting for about 10 seconds. It starts with buzzing sounds and is intercepted by whistles and chirping.

Anna’s Hummingbird’s call consists of sharp and high-pitched chip notes. They also have a twittering call.

 

Similar Species

To make identification easier, we have brought out some hummingbirds that can be mistaken for Anna’s Hummingbirds:

 

Broad-tailed hummingbird

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbirds and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds look pretty much the same at first sight. Anna’s Hummingbirds have pink on their crown too, whereas Broad-tailed Hummingbirds only have a pink gorget.

 

 

costas-hummingbird

Costa’s Hummingbird

Costa’s Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbirds can be mistaken for Costa’s Hummingbirds as well.

They are known for their purple gorgets, whereas Anna’s Hummingbirds have a pinkish gorget.

 

 

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Female Black-chinned Hummingbird

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Male Black-chinned Hummingbirds are recognizable by their black gorget, but female species look more similar.

Female Black-chinned Hummingbirds are usually a bit smaller and slimmer than Anna’s Hummingbirds.

 

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between an Anna’s Hummingbird and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird?

Male Anna’s Hummingbird has a reddish-pink crown and throat whereas male Ruby-throated Hummingbird has a red throat and black head. Their ranges do not overlap.

Where are Anna’s Hummingbirds found?

Anna’s Hummingbirds are found along the western coast of North America, from northern Canada to the southern United States. They live in open woodlands, chaparrals, parks, gardens, and shrubs.

How long does an Anna Hummingbird live?

Anna’s Hummingbirds can live up to 8 years old.

What trees do Anna’s Hummingbirds nest in?

Anna’s Hummingbirds prefer to nest in eucalyptus trees, oaks, and sycamores. You may also find them nesting in vines, shrubs, and poison oak.

About the Author

Heleen Roos

Heleen has loved the outdoors and nature since childhood and has always been fascinated with birds, leading her to research more about them. She has accumulated a lot of knowledge about their behaviors and habits through birdwatching tours and her own explorations. Her goal is to share the most interesting and useful facts about them.

Let others know your thoughts or ask an expert

Would you like to get new articles of birds (Once a month?)

No SPAM! We might only send you fresh updates once a month

Thank you for subscribing!

No thanks! I prefer to follow BirdZilla on Facebook