There are more than 300 diverse species of hummingbirds. They live only in North America, Central America and South America. There are a variety of sizes and colors and they've have evolved with bills that have a shape and length to match flowers they feed from.
Anna’s hummingbirds can be spotted year-round in the Pacific Northwest. Rufous migrates from areas of Mexico all the way to Alaska. Other hummingbirds that may be seen include: calliope, black-chinned, and rarely the broad-tailed, Costa’s and Allen’s. The Pacific Northwest’s male hummingbirds have a reflective, brilliantly colored head and/or neck/gorget to help in their territorial displays and to attract the attention of females. The females are more camouflaged to blend into their nest. Immature or juvenile hummingbirds are often indistinguishable from adult females in the field.
Four hummingbirds in the Pacific Northwest
Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna)
3.9-4.3 inches long
Range expansion due to urban plantings with year round blooms and warming temperatures. Numbers of this species have been rising slightly.
Adult male
- Very vocal.
- Gray tail feathers, green back and grayish white below.
- The gorget is iridescent fuchsia pink that also covers its head.
- Tail extends past the wingtips.
- Uses a J-shaped courtship dive pattern with a final burst of sound from air whipping through the tail feathers.
Adult female
- Green back, grayish below, possibly gray, bronze or central splotch of rose on gorget.
- Breeds early, often two clutches.
Rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
3.5 inches long
Numbers of this species have been declining.
Adult male
- Rufous brown back, tail and sides.
- Brown/green crown.
- Iridescent orange-red gorget, white breast.
- Wing tips create a "bumblebee" noise while in flight.
- Black tipped tail feathers extend past wings when perched.
- Uses an oval shaped courtship dive pattern.
- Rufous is known for its sheer determination to guard a food source.
Adult female
- Green back and crown, white breast, rufous sides and base of tail feathers, white tips on outer tail.
- Often gorget is speckled with orange-red or has a full central patch of orange-red.
Calliope hummingbird (Stellula calliope) (rare)
3.1-3.5 inches long
This is the smallest hummingbird that migrates into the United States. Prefers high elevations.
Adult male
- Metallic green back and crown
- White gorget with fuchsia-red colored rays of feathers that extend outward from the throat during courtship displays.
- Wings extend to the tail or slightly past.
- Uses a U-shaped courtship dive pattern.
Adult female
- Coloring similar to other females but shorter bill and tail.
- Wingtips extend past the tail when perched.
Black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri) (rare)
3.75 inches long
Adult male
- Metallic green back, crown and breast.
- Noticeably dark head with a black gorget with a band of purple against a white collar.
- Wingtips are curved and broad.
- Green and black tail feathers.
- Wide U-shaped dive pattern.
Adult female
- Green back and crown
- White breast (green-gray overall appearance).
- White throat, often with dark or dusty streaks.
- White tipped outer tail feathers.
More facts about hummingbirds
Hummingbirds were given that name not because of vocalization, but because air moving across their wings causes a humming sound. The sound is different for each species. The male rufous announces himself with the "bumblebee like" buzz due to a gap at the tip of its wing feathers. All can announce themselves with a "chipping" vocalization.
More than a third of the hummingbird's weight comes from its chest muscles that give it power in both the up- and down-wing strokes. These muscles are needed to power its amazing flight forward, sideways, backward and even upside down. When hovering, the wings move in a unique figure eight motion.
A hummingbird's tongue can extend as much as twice the length of its beak, allowing it to reach deeply into flowers for nectar. The grooved and fringed end of a tongue allows for rapid absorption of liquid by capillary action. The tongue muscle, or hyoid apparatus, originates on the birds' forehead and wraps all the way around the back of the skull to the base of the beak. A hummingbird can lick approximately 13 times a second.
Their reduced body size allows for more efficient flight and hovering abilities, but also leads to heat loss. In order to maintain normal body temperature, hummingbirds must consume a huge amount of calories — as much as one to 1.5 times their body weight of nectar each day. The sugar in nectar can be digested and turned into fuel almost instantly. It is estimated that hummingbirds visit more than 500-2,000 flowers a day. Hummingbirds get their much needed protein, fats and minerals from frequently eating a variety of small insects and arachnids.
During their search for nectar, hummingbirds transport pollen that has adhered to their beaks and heads due to the unique shape of some flowers. Many native tubular flowers depend on hummingbirds for pollination.
The heart of a hummingbird is the largest, in relation to body size, of any bird. It can beat over 400 times a minute and increase to 1,200 times a minute if stressed. Hummingbirds can breathe 250 times a minute, compared to 16 times per minute for humans.
To conserve energy and/or if the temperature drops considerably, the bird will lapse into a temporary torpor or coma-like state. This conserves energy until conditions improve for food gathering. It will fluff its feathers — lacking down feathers, this lowers its temperature — and lower its heart rate and its breathing rate. While in torpor, the hummingbird is vulnerable to predation. Its normal average temperature of 102°F can drop 20°F in shallow torpor or 40°F in deep torpor.
Many of the Pacific Northwest hummingbirds weigh approximately one-tenth of an ounce or 3 grams, which is the weight of a penny. Anna’s may weigh as much as two pennies. The females often weigh slightly more than the males of the same species. When preparing to migrate south, a 3 gram hummingbird may fatten to more than 5 grams or the weight of a nickel.
The females build a camouflaged, cup shaped nest from lichen, moss, feathers and hair — bound with spider web and lined with plant down. About the size of a walnut, the nest stretches as the nestlings grow. Two white eggs the size of coffee beans will hatch with only the female incubating and feeding the nestlings.
Many hummingbirds migrate 2,000 to 3,000 miles each way. For example, the rufous migrate from Central America to areas north of the Pacific Northwest to breed. Several species balance the risks of migration with the rewards of less competition for food sources and expanded territories.
Attracting hummingbirds to your yard
- Plant flowers. Tubular flowers will contain nectar, while other flowers can be used to attract much needed insects. Research those that will work best for your environment.
- Add a water source. Hummingbirds need to bathe frequently. They love the spraying water from fountains, sprinklers or “misters” that can be purchased from garden centers.
- Research organic gardening methods. Insects are necessary in a hummingbird’s diet. Finding alternatives to pesticides will increase the overall diversity and benefit all pollinators.
- Hang a hummingbird feeder. The best feeders are red, have somewhere to perch, do not leak/drip to attract insects, and can be properly cleaned. For the safety of the hummingbirds, your feeder needs to be placed an appropriate distance from windows. Reflective window clings may be necessary and benefit all species of birds. When first hung, your feeder should be “advertised” with red string or ribbon, Never add red food coloring. Purchased solutions are not recommended. These often spoil faster due to additives that are potentially harmful. Only use granular white sugar, never honey or sugar substitutes. The suggested ratio is one part sugar to four parts water. Slightly more sugar can be used in colder temperatures. Solution can be boiled, then cooled, to dissolve the mixture. Once the weather is warm, the solution spoils quickly so it should be changed every three days. To keep hummingbirds returning to your feeder, clean your feeders with hot water and a scrub brush to remove any mold or bacteria.
- For the safety of the birds and your pets, keep cats indoors. Cats learn the routines of the birds and kill many species unnecessarily in great numbers.
- Encourage your neighbors to also attract hummingbirds. Large, diverse habitats will attract more birds.
Cold weather and hummingbirds
It is believed that feeders add to a hummingbird’s food source rather than making them dependent. That said, on cold winter days when a hummingbird is emerging from torpor, a maintained feeder during ice storms can be a welcome sight and add to their depleted resources.
