Environments favored by the Anna's Hummingbird... Any open area with nectar blooms attract the Anna's, but they also frequent chaparral and wooded locations. People don't seem to phase them a bit, because you can just as easily find them in a city park or a golf course. If you want to see one of the world's gorgeous hummingbirds, hang a nectar feeder on your porch. You'll be rewarded with flashes of fluorescent pink when a flashy male Anna's comes for dinner! The only time their habitat changes is during nesting. The female favors clumps of trees, and the male stays out in the open.
Plant life favored by the Anna's Hummingbird... They are attracted to all nectar flowers, especially these... Agave, century plant (Agave americana); Indian paintbrushes (Castilleja spp.); Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.); Bush monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus); Tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca); Flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum); Fuchsia-flowered gooseberry (Ribes speciosum); Indian pink (Silene laciniata); and Blue curls (Trichostemma spp.).
The Anna's Hummingbird winter and breeding ranges... They spend winter months throughout southern California, southern Arizona, and Mexico. A few individuals have been known to stay in Oregon after the breeding season, instead of migrating south. Maybe they enjoyed mild winter weather which encouraged continued flower blooms. The Anna's breeding range reaches all the way from southwest Canada to the interior of Mexico. They have also been documented in Arizona during this time.
Have you ever seen the exceptional airborne courting flight of the Anna's Hummingbird? The male Anna's favors the female with a unique courtship display. His flight looks like a clock pendulum, going back and forth in an inverted arch. He sings to her during the flight up and at the top. Then he swoops down the arch toward her, but just before reaching her he hovers momentarily above her head. Then off he flies, up the other side of the arch, singing his little heart out. He keeps repeating his courtship until she agrees he's the one for her... or he cuts his losses and moves on to the next pretty face.
Nesting perferences of the female Anna's Hummingbird... The female doesn't seem too particular when it comes to nesting sites. She makes use of practically anything that will support the nest, including utility wires, small branches of eucalyptus, oak, and other trees; as well as shrubs and vines.
How to distinguish the Anna's Hummingbird... While Anna's hummingbirds are a fairly common sight in California during the winter, it's a dream come true for bird-watchers in Minnesota, Alaska, and even Florida. That's right, these flashy little fellas were documented far outside their breeding ranges. The fluorescent pink flash, and loud chittering, gurgling, squeaking vocals of the Anna's Hummingbird caught the attention of these fascinated bird-watchers.
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Find out how to identify the Anna's Hummingbird at NameThatHummingbird.com. They also have reports and many more images of the Anna's Hummingbird, as well as bird-watching tips for identifying hummingbirds with ranges in the United States and Canada. (Credits for image... Mrs. Paton's feeders, Patagonia, Arizona, USA - 2005 April - wikipedia.org)