Thursday, June 18, 2009

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird 2
Anna's Hummingbird by birdie1925

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

Anna's Hummingbird is 9-10 cm (3.5"-4") long. It has a bronze-green back, a pale grey chest and belly, and green flanks. Its bill is long, straight and slender. The adult male has an iridescent crimson-red crown and throat, and a dark, slightly forked tail. Anna's is the only North American hummingbird species with a red crown. Females and juveniles have a green crown, a grey throat with some red marking, a grey chest and belly, and a dark, rounded tail with white tips on the outer feathers.

These birds feed on nectar from flowers using a long extendable tongue. They also consume small spiders and insects which they catch in flight. While collecting nectar, they also assist in plant pollination. They sometimes eat tree sap.

No comments:

Post a Comment