Hummingbirds!

Hummingbirds of the San Francisco Bay Area

The following hummingbirds find our region home:

* Black-chinned Hummingbird
* Costa's Hummingbird
* Anna's Hummingbird
* Rufous Hummingbird
* Allen's Hummingbird
* Calliope Hummingbird

You can see photos of, and learn about these species at Hummingbird.net's Species Page. You can see more photos and maps of hummingbird territories and migrations at the Hummingbird Portal.
Hummingbird Facts
From the National Wildlife Federation

* The smallest bird in the world, the Cuban bee hummingbird, is 2 1/4 inches long - about the size of a bumble bee.
* Hummingbirds, like helicopters, can hover. They can also move ahead, sideways, or backward at will.
* A ruby-throated hummingbird, weighing about one tenth of an ounce, can travel 600 miles in migration.
* Hummingbirds not only sip nectar, but also eat tiny insects and spiders. They may drink up to eight times their body weight daily in water.
* Although their normal body temperature is about 103°F (40°C), it may drop to 70°F (21°C) at night. They have the ability to endure temporary cool weather or cool nights by becoming dormant.
* There are 340 species of hummingbirds in the world and all are found only in the western hemisphere. Of these, only one, the ruby-throated hummingbird, is found regularly east of the Mississippi.
* Flying consumes a great deal of a hummingbird's energy. Wingbeats have been measured at 20-200 beats per second.

Hummingbird Plants

Hummingbirds prefer tube-shaped flowers into which they can get their long beaks to suck out nectar. They are most attracted to red and brightly colored flowers. Click on the 'Garden Plants' link at left to learn about what plants hummingbirds like.

Hummingbird Links:
These will all open a new browser window.

Nature Trail HomeOn to Trail Site # 19 - Ornamental Plums

Dixie Nature Trail website designed and maintained by Alfia Wallace