The range of Anna’s Hummingbirds has expanded north and east since the 1930s. Originally, the Anna’s was found only in southern California and the Baja Peninsula. They are now present year-round in much of North Central Washington. Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data is one way to convincingly document winter bird presence. The CBC conducted on January 3, 2021, in Twisp, WA was the first to document wintering Anna’s. Based on photos and email correspondence we know that Anna’s were present in Colville, WA, and Omak, WA in January 2022. Hopefully, their presence will be documented in the appropriate CBC tallies.
It’s an uncomfortable truth that humans have influenced both the range and behavior of Anna’s Hummingbirds as they expand their range. Yards full of flowers and hummingbird feeders allow the birds to supplement their natural foods. Some people believe that humans are encouraging range expansion by planting and feeding. Others conclude that the range expansion is natural and that feeding is simply supplementing and aiding the birds as they occupy new areas.
Feeding Anna’s Hummingbirds during the winter months is a charged topic. Some people insist that feeding them is inappropriate and alters the bird’s behavior. Other people conclude that feeders provide necessary nourishment and hydration to help Anna’s get through the tough, cold periods.
Making the choice to feed or not feed during the winter is a personal choice that is tailored to your individual knowledge level and ethics. The following list may help you begin to draw your own conclusion about feeding Anna’s Hummingbirds during the winter.
- Once you start feeding hummingbirds, you inherit the responsibility to continue. If you can’t commit to keeping clean and unfrozen nectar available all winter, quit feeding in late summer or early fall to allow the birds time to locate other food sources.
- Feeding Anna’s Hummingbirds during the winter will NOT keep them from migrating. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology supports this conclusion in very clear terms. Anna’s, unlike Rufous, Calliope, and Black-chinned Hummingbirds, do not migrate to Mexico.
- Keeping your feeders clean all year is extremely important. The National Audubon Society has a short video that demonstrates how to clean your feeders.
- Pure cane sugar mixed with water in a proportion of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water is the safest and most used nectar recipe. Do not add anything else to your nectar.
If you would like more information, the North Central Washington Audubon Society prepared a short paper that consolidates information and scientific findings. These resources may help you make a personal decision about feeding Anna’s Hummingbirds during winter. The paper, and links to other information about hummingbirds, are available on the NCWA website’s Hummingbird page.
We all want to care for and enjoy these remarkable birds so that they continue to entertain us with their aerial antics and amazing flight skills. Please do your own research to answer questions, separate opinions from the truth, and identify what is factual and what is a myth.
Thank you for posting this. We have not seen our little hummers in about a month and have been concerned that we did the wrong thing by feeding them. I faithfully kept the feeders thawed and full/clean and we had a lot of activity but when it got really cold they all disappeared.
Wish we had Anna’s Hummingbirds in Plain! I’ve only seen Rufous for a very short month or two in the summer and that’s it. I leave out clean feeders for them too but they move on and I bring in the feeders until next summer when I see them again.