Bird guide · Calypte anna
Anna's Hummingbird
What the Anna's hummingbird eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Mostly year-round resident; some Southwest birds move between Arizona and California.
- Size
- 4 in (10 cm)
- Eats
- nectar (sugar water)
- Feeds
- nectar feeder
- Most common
- California, Washington, Arizona
Food
What do Anna's hummingbirds eat?
At feeders, Anna's hummingbirds take nectar (sugar water).
Tends to hold its tail still while hovering; may hover or perch at feeders.
Feeder that suits it
A hummingbird nectar feeder with one part sugar to four parts water.
Range
Where do Anna's hummingbirds live?
Pacific Coast, now nesting north to British Columbia and east to Arizona. By share of all bird sightings, Anna's hummingbirds are most common in California (2.3%).
States where Anna's hummingbirds are most common
- California2.3%
- Washington1.9%
- Arizona1.7%
- Oregon1.6%
- Nevada1.3%
- Utah0.1%
- Idaho0.1%
- Alaska0.08%
- New Mexico0.02%
- Texas0.01%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are Anna's hummingbirds, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the Anna's hummingbird migrate?
Mostly year-round resident; some Southwest birds move between Arizona and California.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are Anna's hummingbirds, by month.
Identification
How to identify the Anna's hummingbird
Male: Green with a rose-red throat and crown that can look black or gold.
Female: Plain green above, dingy grey below, often with red spots on the throat.
Size: 4 in (10 cm)
Easily confused with
- Costa's Hummingbird – smaller, purple gorget
- Black-chinned Hummingbird – flips and spreads its tail while hovering
On camera
Getting the Anna's hummingbird on a feeder camera
You need a hummingbird feeder camera – hummingbirds never visit seed feeders. See feeder cameras compared for the nectar models.
Questions
Anna's Hummingbird: questions
What do Anna's hummingbirds eat?
At feeders, nectar (sugar water).
Do Anna's hummingbirds migrate?
Mostly year-round resident; some Southwest birds move between Arizona and California.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Where do Anna's hummingbirds live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in California, Washington, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada. They are rare or absent in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia.
What does a female Anna's hummingbird look like?
Plain green above, dingy grey below, often with red spots on the throat.