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Why are we seeing hummingbirds in December and January?
Chances are the type of hummingbird you are seeing around your yard or garden this year is the Anna’s Hummingbird. This hummingbird is a medium-sized hummingbird with a short, straight bill and a long sloping forehead. Both males and females are bronze-green above, and gray below. Males are distinguishable from other hummingbirds as their entire heads and throats are bright iridescent red. Female have green heads, with a small amount of red on their throats. Females have black tails with white tips, while the males’ tails are solid blackish-gray.
Anna’s Hummingbirds are often found in suburban parks, gardens, and coastal valleys. In Washington, Anna’s Hummingbird appears throughout the year. It is unclear whether this is a result of migration or if the birds we see in January are the same as the ones that we see in June. Anna’s Hummingbird migration has been described as a series of movements and temporary residences wherever suitable flowers and feeders are found. The first breeding record in Washington State was in Tacoma in 1976, and they are now found breeding throughout southeastern Puget Sound. Non-breeding populations can be found along or near the bank of a river throughout the Columbia Basin.
Hummingbirds feed on nectar from flowers and feeders, as well as small insects and spiders that they catch in the air or collect from tree trunks and branches. More recently they have been found in local gardens where hummingbird feeders and exotic plants provide them with nutrition throughout the year.
The Grange Supply in Issaquah sells an assortment of hummingbird feeders and nectars for your hummingbird’s needs.
