Anna's Hummingbird
Characteristics
Size
Smaller than a sparrowColor
Mostly green with a gray underbody. Males develop bright pink/red feathers around the crown and neck as they mature. Females have a green head but also have a patch of pink/red feathers under the throat.When seen in Brier?
Year-roundPlant Buddies
Red-flowering currant, snowberry, salmonberry, Pacific rhododendron, orange honeysuckle, pink honeysuckleNotes
Anna's hummingbirds remain in Brier year-round. When it's very cold, they will enter a hibernation-like state called "torpor" to conserve energy until temperatures warm up again. During winter, they survive mostly on tree sap. Nectar feeders can be a helpful winter supplement, but only if feeders are cleaned frequently to limit the spread of fatal diseases.
Males often break the sound barrier when they dive from tall trees to impress females or discourage intruders. The resulting high-pitched chirp is very distinctive. It's frequently heard throughout Brier especially during the breeding season, from December through early summer.
As they mature, Anna's hummingbirds develop dramatic feather colors. The brilliance of the color depends on diet, with more colorful feathers occurring when they eat more protein (bugs).