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Hummingbird Pictures

RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD: (3 3/4") Nesting from Alaska to the northwestern United States, Rufous Hummingbirds migrate in large numbers through southern California. They generally travel by the foothills and mountains, to and from wintering grounds in southern Mexico. The adult male makes a characteristic trilling sound in flight, and his conspicuous all-rufous appearance distinguishes him from other hummingbirds. Females and immatures have varying amounts of reddish brown and green in their plumage.

ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD: (3 1/2") Common only in coastal California. The male is red-throated with a solid rufous tail and a green cap and back. The female can be identified in the breeding season when migrants of similar species are absent. During migration it is practically impossible to tell females and immature from the closely related Rufous Hummingbird. Even the call notes of the two species are the same: a sharp breezee. The courtship pendulum flight of the male (a 25' arc) is followed by a dive from about 100'.

ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD: (4") The most common all-year resident hummingbird of southern California. Often confused with the Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the eastern United States. Unlike his eastern relative. the brilliant rose-red of the male Anna's extends over his head like a hood. This color, as in most hummingbirds, can only be seen in good light and at other times appears black. Female Anna's closely resemble several other species of female hummingbirds but are slightly larger and dingier gray below.

COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD: (3 1/2") The male's violet hood and elongated gorget separate him from other hummingbird males. The female appears much like other female hummingbirds but her nest is distinctively decorated with spider webs, feathers, and lichens. This species is resident in the desert and dry chaparral. Winters mainly in northwestern Mexico with a few remaining in southern California all year. Its diet consists of nector and insects found in flowers or on plants.

CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD: (3 1/4") A summer resident of the mountains, it's the smallest north American bird. The male's gorget is composed of colored rays, or streaks, rather than a solid pattern. Typical of hummingbirds, after mating , the female alone builds the nest, incubates the eggs, and rears the young. Most adult males depart for wintering grounds in Mexico by mid-July with females and immature males leaving later.

BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD: (3 3/4") A violet band at the lower edge of his black throat, on males only, is often difficult to see. Females closely resemble other hummingbird females. Nests, made from various plant fibers are unadorned and have the facility to stretch as the two young grow. Black-chinned Hummingbirds are resident from late March to August, wintering in Mexico. They are most common in oak and streamside woodlands and can easily be attracted to feeders.