Anna's Hummingbird

📕 Read about it:

The Anna’s Hummingbird is one of the brightest, busiest birds in San Diego! The males shine with pink and green feathers that sparkle in the sunlight. These tiny birds live in gardens, parks, and trees near homes, where they can find flowers all year long.

Their diet is made up of flower nectar, tiny insects, and spiders. They are prey for larger birds and praying mantises. One important adaptation is their fast wings — they can flap up to 80 times per second! This lets them hover in place while they drink nectar with their long, straw-like tongues.

Another special adaptation is their strong memory. They remember exactly which flowers they’ve visited and when new ones will bloom. They also build soft, stretchy nests made from spider webs and plant fluff.

👉 In Mira Mesa, you can spot them around gardens with bright flowers, like at Walker Elementary’s garden or near neighborhood feeders.

📸 Look at photos:

📺 Watch a video:

💻 Check out a website:

📕 Read about their survival in Mira Mesa:

Anna’s Hummingbirds are tiny but tough. In Mira Mesa, they sometimes face trouble finding enough flowers to feed on, especially when yards are filled with grass or non-native plants that don’t produce nectar. Pesticides and chemicals sprayed on gardens can also make it harder for hummingbirds to stay healthy.

To adapt, Anna’s Hummingbirds have learned to visit bird feeders filled with sugar water. They also take advantage of any flowering plants, even ones people plant just for decoration. Their ability to stay year-round in San Diego is another survival trick—they don’t waste energy migrating, so they can focus on finding food close by.

These hummingbirds show how important it is to create safe, flower-filled spaces in our neighborhoods.

Encountering 🧭

When a hummingbird zooms by, it’s often searching for nectar or resting on a branch. 🌸 Stay very still and quiet — you might hear its tiny wings buzzing! Don’t try to grab or chase it. Just enjoy how fast and graceful it is.

Help 💚

You can help by planting native flowers like monkeyflower, sage, or penstemon. 💐 Clean hummingbird feeders often (every 3–5 days) using a mix of 4 parts water to 1 part sugar, and never add red dye. Hummingbirds also need small trees or bushes for shelter — and it’s important to keep cats indoors so they stay safe.

Environment 🌎

People sometimes remove native flowers, spray harmful chemicals, or allow outdoor cats to hunt hummingbirds. 🏙️ When we replace gardens with gravel or lawns, hummingbirds lose their food sources. We can make a difference by planting native plants and keeping our neighborhoods full of blooming spots all year long.

Deterring 🚫

To keep hummingbirds safe, place feeders away from windows so they don’t bump into the glass. 🪟 If you have reflective windows, you can use stickers or curtains to help birds see them. Avoid putting feeders near busy walkways or noisy pets so they can feed peacefully.