Flashback Friday
Anna's Hummingbird
Henderson, Nevada

The Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) is a dazzling, jewel-like bird native to the western United States, Mexico, and parts of Canada. Known for their iridescent plumage, the males sport brilliant metallic pink or red throats, known as gorgets, which shimmer in sunlight. Their heads can also display a vibrant pink crown, while the rest of their plumage is primarily green and gray. Females and juveniles lack the vivid head coloring but still have hints of iridescence on their throats.

These birds are small, measuring about 4 inches (10 cm) long with a wingspan of 4.7 inches (12 cm), yet their energy and agility are extraordinary. Anna's Hummingbirds are famed for their high-speed flight, including acrobatic dives during courtship, where males can reach speeds of nearly 50 mph (80 km/h).

Adaptable and vocal, they emit a sharp, metallic "chip" and a high-pitched whistle. They are frequent visitors to flowers, feeders, and gardens, sipping nectar with their long, specialized beaks and tongues, while also preying on tiny insects for protein. Unlike many hummingbirds, Anna’s Hummingbirds can stay in one area year-round, even in cooler climates, thanks to their ability to enter torpor—a state similar to hibernation—on cold nights.