Anna’s Hummingbird

Annas is one of several species of hummingbird, the smallest of all birds,  found in the Foothills.  It is the only hummingbird found in the United States that has a red crown.  Their throat is also red.

Acrobatic flyers

In flight a hummingbirds wings appear as a blur.  Their wingbeats are too quick for the naked eye.  They can reach speeds of 50 to 60 mph with wingbeats up to 200 beats per second.  Their normal speed is about 25 mph with about 50 to 60 wingbeats per second.   Hummingbirds use spectacular displays of flying to entice their mates, not a song like most birds.  Migrating south to Mexico and South America, hummingbirds may feed heavily and nearly double their weight before leaving the Foothills.  They have been known to fly non-stop for 15 to 20 hours, followed by a two-week rest to regain weight and strength.

Color change specialists

Hummingbird feathers change color from red, purple, green and gold to brown, gray or black with the sunshine. These amazing color changes, the source of many Native American legends, take place because the feathers have no color pigment.  They are tipped with thin layers filled with minute air bubbles, clear and colorless like a glass prism.  If these prism-like feathers catch light ray just right, the iridescent colors are reflected, while the remaining colors of the rainbow are absorbed in the dark layer of feathers below.  For this reason they are accurately referred to as “flying sunbeams”.

No song or sense of smell

Hummingbirds have no real song.  To claim their territory, they protect its boundaries with chittering war cries and dive-bomb attacks on intruders.  Of all the species of hummingbird, the male Anna’s hummingbird comes closest to a song with its thin trill . Hummingbirds have no sense of smell.

No food?  Take a rest.

Hummingbirds eat nectar from flowers and sugar water from feeders only to meet their energy requirements.  They eat small insects for their meat protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.  Hummingbirds  must migrate to warmer areas when cold weather reduces their insect supply.  When flowers and insects die in an unexpected freeze, they are left without food.  To survive, they settle into a sleep-like state to reduce their body functions and need for food and warmth.