A Quick Look at the Allen's Hummingbird

Allen’s Hummingbird is a compact, fiery‑colored West Coast specialist known for one of the earliest and most dramatic migrations of any North American hummingbird.

Appearance

- Size: 3–3.5 inches long; 2–4 grams.  

- Adult male: 

  - Iridescent orange‑red gorget 

  - Green back (key difference from Rufous) 

  - Rufous flanks, rump, and tail 

- Female/immature: 

  - Mostly green above, white below 

  - Rufous only on the tail with white tail tips 

  - No iridescent throat patch 

• Field challenge: Females and immatures are nearly indistinguishable from Rufous Hummingbirds.

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Migration Pattern

Allen’s Hummingbird has one of the earliest migrations of any U.S. bird.

- Northbound: 

  - Leaves wintering grounds as early as December 

  - Arrives in California/Oregon January–February 

  - Times arrival with winter‑rain bloom cycles 

 - Southbound:

  - Most migrate late summer

  - Many move south through mountain corridors rather than the coast 

 - Wintering:

  - Most winter in southern Mexico 

  - A non‑migratory subspecies (S. s. sedentarius) stays year‑round in southern California 

 Nesting Habitat & Behavior

- Breeding range: A narrow strip of coastal California and southern Oregon. 

- Male habitat: Open coastal scrub or chaparral; perches on exposed branches to display. 

- Female habitat: Builds nests in thickets, forests, or dense shrubs, separate from male territories. 

 - Nest

  - Cup‑shaped, stretchy, camouflaged with plant down and spider silk 

  - Placed low to mid‑height in shrubs or small trees 

- Eggs: 2 white eggs 

- Incubation: 17–22 days 

- Fledging: 22–25 days 

 Number of Clutches per Year

Allen’s Hummingbirds typically raise 2 clutches per season, sometimes 3 in favorable years due to the long California bloom window. 

(This is consistent with the reproductive pattern of closely related Selasphorus species; specific clutch count is not explicitly stated in the cited sources but inferred from their breeding timing and behavior.)

 Favorite Plants

While not limited to a single species, Allen’s Hummingbirds strongly favor **nectar‑rich coastal flowers**, especially:

- Fuchsia-flowered gooseberry (Ribes speciosum)

- Monkeyflower (Mimulus) 

- Penstemon 

- Salvia species

- Currants and gooseberries (Ribes spp.)

These plants dominate the chaparral and coastal scrub where they breed.

Preferred US State for Migration

The species is tightly tied to the Pacific Coast, with California being its core habitat for:

- Breeding 

- Migration stopovers

- Year‑round residency (for the sedentarius subspecies)

If you had to name one state it “prefers,” the answer is California.