A flying jewel pauses for rest
Daniel Curnow took this photo in Golden Hills of an Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) as it perched on a twig.
Anna’s Hummingbirds are by far the hummingbird you are most likely to encounter in the Tehachapi Mountains, as they are year-round residents and can be seen in all four seasons.
The other five species of hummingbird which have been sighted in our area are Black-chinned, Costa’s, Calliope, Rufous and Allen’s.
All Anna’s Hummingbirds, including females and immature birds, have iridescent emerald green feathers on their bodies, especially on their backs. The males also have dazzling rose-pink feathers on their throat and crown.
The patch under their chin is often referred to a gorget, pronounced with a soft “g” like gor-juht, similar to “gorgeous.” It comes gorge, from the French word for “throat.”
This area may appear black or gray depending on the angle of the sunlight hitting the bird. The feather microstructure reflects light in different ways, so a male Anna’s Hummingbird head and throat can appear very brightly colored, somewhat colored, or show very little color at all.
Unusually for hummingbirds, female Anna’s also have a very small reddish gorget, though it is not nearly as noticeable as a male’s.
Anna’s Hummingbirds not only feed on the nectar of flowering plants, but also eat a variety of insects, typically very small ones like gnats, midges, leafhoppers, spiders, etc. This provides them with an essential source of protein, and hummingbirds cannot survive on nectar alone.
The Nuwä (Kawaiisu or Paiute) word for hummingbird is muutanapizhi, pronounced mootana-PIZSH-i, which literally translates as “just a little man.”
NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular feature of the Tehachapi News edited by Jon Hammond which showcases photos of the natural beauty that enhances the quality of life in Tehachapi. If you have a good quality image of plants, animals, insects, trees, birds, weather phenomena, etc., taken in the Tehachapi area, you may submit it to the Tehachapi News for possible publication. Submissions can be dropped by the News office in the form of a print or CD, or sent by email to: editorial@ tehachapinews.com.