Anna’s Hummingbird

Named after Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli, Anna’s Hummingbirds are frequently seen year round.

Two male hummingbirds (the colorful gorget is the clue as to their sex).

Hummingbirds are very territorial, quickly driving away other birds.

“Step off, I say!”

These tiny birds are, according to The Cornell Lab’s “All About Birds” webpage, “no larger than a ping-pong ball and no heavier than a nickel…”

Anna’s Hummingbirds have tiny feet. They can’t hop or walk but they can use them for preening their feathers.

Another cool fact about hummingbirds is that their temperature is about 107 degrees Fahrenheit. I don’t have a picture to illustrate their hot-bloodedness, but here’s a photo of a hummingbird relieving itself in another way.

As I mentioned above (in the caption of the first photo), hummingbirds are territorial. I’ve never seen more than three together at a time. And one is usually driving off another. Nonetheless, The Cornell Lab asks, “What do you call a flock of hummingbirds?”

They answer, “…[A] bouquet, a glittering, a hover, a shimmer, or a tune of hummingbirds.”

Okaaaay.

If I say to Katherine, “Look, a shimmer of hummingbirds!” will she:

a) look to where I’m aiming my camera, or

b) look at me like I’m crazy?

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