anna's hummingbird

Calypte anna

Summary 5

Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) is a medium-sized hummingbird native to the west coast of North America. This bird was named after Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli.

Physical description 6

Anna's hummingbirds are medium sized, stocky hummingbirds. They are sexually dimorphic. Males and females both have a bronzy, green dorsal area that is glossy in appearance and a dull, gray ventral region. They have a medium length bill and a broad tail. Male C. anna have a brightly colored rose throat area and crown and a dark tail. Females are generally a dull mixture of gray/white or gray/brown, but may have a patch of metallic red or purplish feathers in the center of the throat area. The tail, tipped with white, is metallic green in the center with the exterior tail feathers darkening to black.

Range mass: 4 to 4.5 g.

Average length: 100 mm.

Range wingspan: 114 to 121 mm.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: sexes colored or patterned differently; male more colorful

Average basal metabolic rate: 0.1175 W.

Food habits 7

Calypte anna has four sources of food: nectar from flowers, sap from trees, sugar-water mixes from feeders, and very small insects and spiders. Anna's hummingbirds are equipped with long, narrow bills and have a body adapted to hover over flowers. These two features allow them to easily extract nectar. While the bird is hovering over the flower it extends its tongue and inserts it into the flower. Calypte anna is most attracted to long, tubular flowers, with a red, orange, or violet hue. Apart from flowers, Anna's hummingbirds find food in the air by capturing flying insects or eating insects trapped in spider webs. They also use holes in trees to extract sap.

Animal Foods: insects

Plant Foods: nectar; pollen; sap or other plant fluids

Primary Diet: herbivore (Nectarivore )

Habitat 8

Calypte anna have made their home in open woods, shrubs, gardens, and parks. During breeding season they are restricted to California and a habitat separation is established between males and females. During this time males typically move to more open habitats including canyon sides and hill slopes. Females, on the other hand, live in trees, including evergreens and oaks. Anna's Hummingbirds also experience different habitats with the changing seasons. During the summer months they move to higher elevations, and in winter they move to lower altitudes.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; scrub forest

Other Habitat Features: urban ; suburban ; agricultural

Size 9

Length: 10 cm

Weight: 4 grams

Lifespan/longevity 10

Anna's hummingbirds live an average of 8.5 years.

Range lifespan
Status: wild:
8.5 (high) years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild:
8.5 years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild:
98 months.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) 2007 Heather Lannie, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=211114&one=T
  2. (c) Steve Berardi, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/steveberardi/4205324334/
  3. (c) 2009 jim adams, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=270620&one=T
  4. (c) Michael Rosenberg, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2635/3702368178_790574b300.jpg
  5. Adapted by Marisa Rafter from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calypte_anna
  6. Adapted by Marisa Rafter from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18637594
  7. Adapted by Marisa Rafter from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18637597
  8. Adapted by Marisa Rafter from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18637593
  9. Adapted by Marisa Rafter from a work by (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/14523538
  10. Adapted by Marisa Rafter from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18637596

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

Color green, grey, pink, red, white
Size small
Beak length long
Neck short
Origin native