Bird of the Week: Anna's Hummingbird
Photo by Robert D. McMorran
Species: Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna
Family: Trochilidae
Sign: Aquarius
Favorite hobby: acting far larger than they are
Dear reader,
There is nothing quite like spotting Anna's Hummingbird on Reed’s campus. Surprisingly, they are not very hard to find: they often flit past the windows of the second floor of the library, or perch and sing shrilly in a small tree outside of a dorm. Once, I found a low-built hummingbird nest in the Canyon, nestled in the crook of two small branches on the island. Despite their regularity around me, they never cease to feel out of place for their slightly mystical appearance. Their diminutive size is unmatched by any other bird, and their behavior is unique as well. They swivel and dip through their surroundings like a tiny drone, pausing in mid-air and the next moment bolting away. At first glance, an Anna's Hummingbird could be a fairy briefly visiting the mortal realm. A bit like the iconic Southeastern-tending Ruby-throated Hummingbird, male Anna’s Hummingbirds are adorned with a brilliantly iridescent throat and head colored a rosy-pink. Their chests and backs are a light iridescent green, the color tapering off as it reaches the throat. Female hummingbirds have the same green coloring pattern, with the absence of the colorful throat. Like sparrows and sandpipers, hummingbirds are one of the varieties of birds that host a very similar shape between species. However, unlike sparrows and sandpipers, who plagued me with confusion during my earlier years of bird watching, most hummingbirds are so distinctive in their markings and ranges that even a glance at one can allow for identification. The Anna’s Hummingbird feeds on the nectar of many flowering plants, both native and non-native, as well as small insects plucked from various sources like understory leaves, streambanks, or spider’s webs. They have also been observed to feed on tree sap left over in holes made by sapsuckers. Anna’s Hummingbirds are some of the most common along the Pacific Coast, ranging year-round from Northern Washington to Northern Mexico. Imagine my surprise during my freshman year, seeing one dart through the freezing rain on a typical Portland winter day.
The origin of the name of Anna’s Hummingbird can be attributed to Anne d'Essling, who married the ornithologist François Victor Massena, 3rd Duke of Rivoli, in 1823. It was René Primevère Lesson, a French naval officer, surgeon, and zoologist who described the hummingbird in 1829 and named it after d’Essling. However, I personally consider the name a tribute to my dear friend Anna, whose birthday was last week, and has graciously allowed me to commemorate it briefly through their lovely hummingbird counterpart.
Anna’s Hummingbirds, like the other members of their family Trochilidae, are about as heavy as a nickel and as large as a golf ball. Hummingbird’s size aids their ability to fly with such agility, and to move more like an insect than a bird. Hummingbirds, like insects, are able to create lift not only on the downstroke of their wings but also on the upstrokes by inverting their wings. When they flap, they twist their humerus, the upper arm bone, as opposed to flapping from the shoulder as other birds do. They produce a lot of power with a smaller movement. Such convergence of size and method allow them to move in a way unlike any other bird. The Anna’s Hummingbird’s mating display is a perfect showcase of this versatility: after identifying a recipient of their display, which could be a human or hummingbird, a male hummingbird will hover six to thirteen feet in front of them. He climbs in a wavering way upward to 131 feet and dives down in a free-fall, ending in a grand finale of a squeak produced by their tail feathers. On sunny days, the bird angles its dive to allow the sun to reflect off of its iridescent coloring directly at the viewer. I can’t say I wouldn’t be charmed!
Look out for this beautiful critter around campus, and take a moment to admire the intricate coloration of one of our only permanent resident hummingbirds!