San Diego’s skies glitter year-round with a living gem: the Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna). Named in 1829 for Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli, this resilient bird has transformed from a regional native into an urban success story, captivating locals with its iridescent beauty and fierce personality .
🏙️ San Diego: A Hummingbird Haven
Once confined to Baja California and Southern California, Anna’s Hummingbirds expanded dramatically northward, reaching as far as Alaska. This expansion was fueled by San Diego’s proliferation of ornamental gardens, eucalyptus trees, and nectar-rich landscapes. Today, they thrive here year-round, flitting through chaparral, suburban yards, and parks like Balboa Park, where their metallic chirps are a familiar soundtrack .
🔍 Meet the Anna’s Hummingbird: Identification Guide
- Males: Sport a dazzling rose-red crown and throat (gorget), which shifts from black to blinding magenta in sunlight. Their backs are emerald-green, and undersides gray .
- Females: Lack the ruby hood but often show a small, iridescent red throat patch. Their mottled gray-green underparts distinguish them from other species .
- Size: Tiny but mighty—just 4 inches long, weighing less than a nickel, with a wingspan of 4.5–5 inches .
Fun fact: Their iridescence isn’t from pigment! It’s structural color, created by light refracting through feather platelets .
💫 Astonishing Adaptations
- High-Energy Lifestyle:
- Hearts beat 1,260 times per minute .
- Wings flap 50+ times per second, enabling backward flight and mid-air acrobatics .
- To survive cold nights, they enter torpor, dropping their body temperature from 107°F to 48°F .
- Insect Surprise:
Unlike most hummingbirds, Anna’s rely heavily on insects and spiders (up to 80% of winter diet). This protein boost lets them endure colder months when flowers fade—a key to their San Diego residency . - Dive Displays & Courtship:
Males perform dramatic courtship dives, climbing 130 feet before plunging at breakneck speed. At the dive’s bottom, tail feathers produce a loud pop to impress females. After mating, females solo-build nests (from spider silk and lichen) and raise chicks .
🌸 Gardening for Anna’s: San Diego Tips
Attract these “flying jewels” sustainably:
- Plant natives: Salvias, penstemon, and California fuschia offer ideal nectar. Avoid feeders—they attract bees and require rigorous cleaning .
- Skip pesticides: They rely on small insects for protein .
- Provide water: A misting fountain invites bath-time antics.
💡 Pro Tip: Anna’s are fiercely territorial. If your garden hosts squabbles, you’ve succeeded!
🌿 Conservation & Culture
Once limited to wild scrub, Anna’s now symbolize urban wildlife resilience. Their populations remain stable, thanks to San Diego’s embrace of bird-friendly landscaping. Yet challenges persist:
- Feeders can cause fatal bee impalements on bills .
- Spider webs occasionally trap them (one local saved a bird mid-bike ride!) .
Final Thought: A Shared Ecosystem
In San Diego, Anna’s Hummingbirds are more than birds—they’re pollinators, pest controllers, and daily reminders of nature’s tenacity. Step outside, plant a native sage, and listen for that metallic chip. You’re now part of their story.
“To see an Anna’s is to witness a spark of wild magic in our own backyards.”
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