Native Animal of the Month: Anna’s Hummingbird

Have you been lucky enough to spot a hummingbird this winter? Only one species over-winters here in the Puget Sound area, and that’s the Anna’s hummingbird. These birds are bronze-green above and gray below with males having an easier to spot bright, iridescent red heat and throat. Females sport a much smaller patch of red on their throats.

Anna’s hummingbirds rely on both a diet of small insects for protein and on energy found from plant nectar or on the home sugar-water feeders. When their wings beat at a rate of 50x a second, it’s no wonder they need a little extra help to sustain that level of energy! It’s believed that the prevalence of human provided feeders have helped extend the range of the Anna’s in our area. The feeders are especially valuable to the birds in the winter when fewer flowers are available to them and temperatures drop.

Seattle Audubon