For the birds: Anna’s Hummingbird — help our resident hummers during the cold

Male Anna's showing rose-red head and gorget
Photo by Christine Southwick

By Christine Southwick

Anna’s Hummingbirds have become year-long residents in our area. No one really knows exactly why they have spread their territory north to our area — more planting of plants that hummingbirds use is the favorite belief; or maybe global warming (Our winters are usually about the same as San Francisco’s — except for brief cold spells, like what is here now). Hummingbird feeders are not to blame (Rufus Hummingbirds can’t be enticed to stay even with feeders); they just help our Anna’s over-winter, especially during cold spells.

Female Anna's with pollen on her bill
Photo by Christine Southwick

If you have feeders, now is the time to strategize about how you are going to keep your feeders from freezing.  Many people have two feeders which they rotate, so that one is always liquid. That works until there is a cold spell when even the days don’t get much above freezing.

Female Anna's bathing in fountain
Photo by Christine Southwick

My favorite way during really cold spells is to wrap Christmas lights (the old style, not-LED) against and around the feeder, making sure that the ports are clear. The heat from the lights is enough to keep a full feeder from freezing, down to about 18-19 degrees F, which is plenty for this cold spell. My second favorite way is to tape an eight-hour hand warmer to the bottom of the feeder (duct tape works well), and then take the feeders in at night, but that means that you have to remember to put them out, with a new hand warmer, early in the morning, because the hummers will come in early.

One of the reasons that Anna’s can survive here is that they eat more insects (including small spiders) than any other North American Hummingbird. It is thought that insects metabolize slower, helping the Anna’s to survive the long nights.

Male Anna's molting in feathers-note band on leg
Photo by Christine Southwick

Hummingbirds go into a torpor (a state of regulated metabolic suppression) during cold nights in order to conserve energy. They can drop their normal body temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit down to as low as 48 degrees F. Their heart rate and breathing slow, using less calories. That means when they come out of their torpor, they need to find food readily. So have their feeders ready—by 6:00am if possible.

Anna’s and other birds need liquid water in birdbaths. Birdbath heaters come on when water would freeze, and go off when it warms up.  Wild Birds Unlimited, and other birding stores carry these units.