One of the most dazzling and resilient bird species in the Coachella Valley and surrounding mountain ranges. Unlike many other North American hummingbirds, Anna’s Hummingbird is a year-round resident, easily recognized by its iridescent emerald body and the adult male's shimmering rose-pink crown and throat (gorget). Females and juveniles are duller, with green backs and pale undersides, often with a small splash of pink on the throat.
Habitat and Range
Anna’s Hummingbirds are highly adaptable. In the Coachella Valley, they frequent urban gardens, native desert scrub, and montane chaparral, mainly where nectar sources like chuparosa (Justicia californica), desert lavender (Condea emoryi), and ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) are abundant. They’re also drawn to hummingbird feeders and non-native flowering plants, making them one of the most commonly observed hummingbirds in residential areas.
Behavior and Adaptations
These birds are territorial and fiercely defensive of their feeding areas. Males perform dramatic courtship dives, dropping from heights of 100 feet or more while producing a loud “chirp” at the bottom of the arc — a sound made by air rushing through tail feathers.
Adapted to desert climates, Anna’s Hummingbirds can enter torpor, a short-term hibernation-like state, to survive cold nights or low food availability. This is especially useful in the high desert and mountain foothills during winter.
Ecological Role
Anna’s Hummingbirds are essential pollinators, particularly for tubular desert flowers that bloom in cooler months. Their long bills and brush-tipped tongues are specialized for nectar feeding, and as they forage, they transfer pollen between plants.
Cultural and Scientific Significance
Named after Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli, by 19th-century ornithologist René Lesson, this species was once considered rare in California. Its current abundance is partly due to urban planting and supplemental feeding, which have expanded its range significantly over the last century.
