A male Allen’s Hummingbird perches on a fuschia branch between flights.
This male hummingbird repeatedly returned to his fuschia perch. He was flying off to feed from the blossoms or to be involved in a series of chases with other Allen’s Hummingbirds. Several of these small hummingbirds were in the immediate area. They were flying very fast. The birds were often vocal as they darted through garden plants in coastal Southern California. It was easier to hear the hummingbirds than to see them as they chased each other on this day.
The photo of the male’s front shows the reddish orange coloration on the throat feathers (gorget). The photo of the male’s side view shows his orange and green coloration on the flank and back.
The Allen’s Hummingbirds feed off of a variety of flowering garden plants in the Newport Coast and Corona del Mar area. The hummingbird plants include Lion’s tail, Cape Honeysuckle, fuschia, fairy duster, pentas, and bottle brush trees.
While we were at this location, the birds were feeding from the flowers quietly. At another location, the feeding Allen’s Hummingbird would sometimes make a “chip!” sound intermittently while hovering and feeding.
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