A Guide to Hummingbird Watching

Hummingbirds are members of the family Trochilidae (the world’s smallest birds) and reside only in the Western Hemisphere. Of 16 North American types, seven are California species.

Hummers are most often seen along migratory routes between Mexico and Canada. They migrate north in early spring and return south in late summer and early fall. Three species--Anna’s Hummingbird, a cousin of the Allen’s Hummingbird and Costa’s Hummingbird--remain in California year-around.

* Anna’s Hummingbird can be found from the San Francisco-Sacramento area to the Mexican border. The largest California hummer (3 1/2-4 inches long), both male and female have a green back; the male has a crimson head and throat.

* Allen’s Hummingbird, a coastal bird often spotted in Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach and Catalina, can be seen along the coast to Oregon. It migrates north in spring and starts south in early July. A subspecies of the Allen’s resides all year in Southern California. Both the Allen’s and its cousin have green backs; the males have rust-colored sides and tails and orange-red throats.

* Costa’s Hummingbird, a desert bird, is seen all year in the Palm Springs and Palm Desert areas. During migration, it also can be found in the San Gabriel Valley. Males have amethyst helmets, green backs and dusky green tail feathers.

* The Black-chinned Hummingbird can be seen throughout California and north to British Columbia. It arrives here in April and returns to Mexico in early September. The female has a green head in back and is grayish-white underneath. The male’s head and chin are black, with a violet band separating the black chin from a white collar.

* The Rufous Hummingbird, a mountain hummer, passes through Southern California in mid-February on its way to southern Alaska. It can be seen in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains. The bird heads south to Mexico in July. Males have rust-colored backs and tails, copper throats and bronze-green crowns. Females have green backs and rufous (rust-colored) sides.

* The Calliope Hummingbird, a timid mountain bird, is the smallest bird in the United States (2.8-3.5 inches) and can be found in the High Sierra, Yosemite and Kern County; sometimes it is also seen in higher elevations of the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains. The Calliope arrives in California in early March on its way to British Columbia, returning through the state in early to mid-September. The male has long, metallic-magenta feathers that extend across its throat, a gold-green back and brownish-gray tail feathers.

* The Broad-tailed Hummingbird, also called the Rocky Mountain Hummingbird, can be seen in east-central California near the Nevada border during May, June and July. The male has a green head, back and tail and a rosy-red throat.