General

Allen's Hummingbird: Small, compact hummingbird; male has straight black bill, glittering green crown and back, white breast, and rufous sides, belly, rump, and tail. Throat (gorget) is iridescent copper-red. Female has grayer bill, bronze-green upperparts, white throat with dark flecks, and rufous-washed buff underparts. Tail is rufous, black, and green with white-tipped outer tail feathers.

Range and Habitat

Allen's Hummingbird: Breeds along the coast from southern Oregon to southern California. Resident in southern California; winters in Mexico. Preferred habitats include coastal chaparral, brushlands, and edges of redwood forests.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"zeeee chuppity-chup"

Interesting Facts

 The courtship flight of the male Allen's Hummingbird is a back and forth arc of about 25 feet, similar to the motion of a swinging pendulum, followed by a high-speed dive from about 100 feet.

 They are aggressive in defending nesting territory from other hummers, and have been known to attack and rout birds several times larger than themselves.

 A group of hummingbirds has many collective nouns, including a “bouquet", "glittering", "hover", "shimmer", and "tune” of hummingbirds.

Author

Gary Owen Dick

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