A small hummingbird endemic to Pacific Coast in California and Oregon. Closely related to Rufous Hummingbird; difficult to distinguish in field.

Also called: Allen's

Native status: Native; coastal California and southern Oregon

§ Quick facts

SizeBody 7–9 cm (2.8–3.5 in); wingspan 11 cm
Weight2.8–4.0 g
LifespanWild typically 4 years; oldest documented 5
OrderApodiformes
FamilyTrochilidae

§ Encyclopedia

Allen's hummingbird is a species of hummingbird that breeds in the western United States. It is one of seven species in the genus Selasphorus.

Source: Wikipedia — Allen's hummingbird Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Males: rufous-orange flanks and tail; green back (vs. Rufous Hummingbird, which has rufous back); iridescent red-orange throat. Females: green back, rusty flanks, white throat with red flecks. Females and immatures essentially identical to Rufous Hummingbird — call and range help.

Similar species. Rufous Hummingbird (males have rufous back; female and immature ID extremely difficult). Anna's Hummingbird (pink-magenta gorget). Calliope Hummingbird (smaller, streaked gorget).

Voice. Sharp "chip" notes; males make distinctive tail-feather buzz during dives.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Nectar from native flowers (especially currant, gooseberry, monkey-flower); small flying insects and spiders.

Behavior. Coastal California subspecies (S. sasin sasin) is migratory; Channel Islands subspecies (S. sasin sedentarius) is resident year-round and has expanded into mainland Los Angeles/San Diego. Males defend feeding territories aggressively, performing high U-shaped dive displays with metallic "tew-tew" sounds produced by tail feathers.

§ Range

California, Oregon coast in summer; winters Mexico

§ Habitat

Coastal scrub, riparian areas

§ Threats

Coastal habitat loss to urban development.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the allen's hummingbird is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Support California coastal habitats.

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§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • Cornell Lab — All About Birds
  • Hummingbird Monitoring Network
  • iNaturalist
  • IUCN Red List 2018