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Bird name:

Allen's Hummingbird

Selasphorus sasinOrder: APODIFORMES Family: Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

Codes: Common Name: ALHU Scientific Name: SELSAS ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178041

Breeding Location:

Bushes, shrubs, and thickets, Scrub vegetation areas

Breeding Type:

Solitary nester, Semicolonial, Promiscuous

Breeding Population:

Common to fairly common

Egg Color:

White

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

15 - 22

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Moss, stems, weeds, and plant down.

Migration:

Neotropical Migrant

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.

Breeding and Nesting

Allen's Hummingbird: Two white eggs are laid in a tiny, tightly woven cup built on a sheltered branch. Incubation ranges from 15 to 22 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Allen's Hummingbird: Long narrow bill and tongue allow it to obtain nectar from flowers. Also obtains protein from small insects. Consumes over twice its weight in nectar each day by feeding every 10 to 15 minutes and visiting as many as 1,000 flowers.

Readily Eats

Sugar Water, Commercial instant nectars

Vocalization

Allen's Hummingbird: Calls include a low "chup" and an excited "zeeee chuppity-chup."

Similar Species

Allen's Hummingbird: Male Rufous Hummingbird has less green on crown and back. Female Rufous Hummingbird is indistinguishable in appearance.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Allen's Hummingbird

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. The throat (gorget) is iridescent copper-red. Feeeds on nectar, insects, spiders, and sap. Swift direct flight, hovers when feeding.

● Song: "zeeee chuppity-chup"

● Foraging & Feeding: Allen's Hummingbird: Long narrow bill and tongue allow it to obtain nectar from flowers. Also obtains protein from small insects. Consumes over twice its weight in nectar each day by feeding every 10 to 15 minutes and visiting as many as 1,000 flowers.

● Breeding & nesting: Allen's Hummingbird: Two white eggs are laid in a tiny, tightly woven cup built on a sheltered branch. Incubation ranges from 15 to 22 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Allen's Hummingbird: Male Rufous Hummingbird has less green on crown and back. Female Rufous Hummingbird is indistinguishable in appearance.

Flight Pattern

Hovers when feeding., Swift darting direct flight.

● Range & 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.

^BreedingSolitary nester, Semicolonial, Promiscuous

^PopulationCommon to fairly common

^MigrationNeotropical Migrant

^Weight0.1 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Crown

The crown is the top part of the birds head.

Outer tail feathers

The tail feathers farthest from the center.

Rump

The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Allen's Hummingbird

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Readily Eats

Vocalization

Similar Species

Allen's Hummingbird

Flight Pattern