When people think about states that are visited by hummingbirds, I doubt if Alaska is one of these states. While Alaska may not be a state that is readily known for its huge population of hummingbirds, there are four species who do visit this great state. These species are Anna’s, Rufous, Costa’s and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
The Anna’s Hummingbird is identifiable by the colors and markings of its feathers, especially on the male of the species. The male Anna’s Hummingbird generally weighs about 4.31g and is identifiable by its breast, which is gray in color, its throat and crown that are both a dark red color and its back, which is metallic green. Immature males often resemble females until they are mature. The female Anna’s Hummingbird is identifiable by the color of its breast, which is a lighter gray color than the male’s, a back that is duller green than the male’s metallic green and a throat that is white with red spots. The female also has white tips on its outer tail feathers. Immature male Anna’s Hummingbirds closely resemble the female of the species until it matures. One other identifiable factor concerning the Anna’s Hummingbird is its song; this species is one of the few that have one.
The Rufous Hummingbird, possibly the most common hummingbird in the United States, is smaller than the Anna’s Hummingbird, with the male weighing around 3.22g and the female weighing slightly more, around 3.41g. The male of this species is identifiable by the non-iridescent rufous color of the feathers found on the crown, tail and sides. The feathers located on the back of the male Rufous Hummingbird can be rufous, green or a combination of both. Both sexes of this species have white breasts, while the male has a bright orange-red throat and the female has a streaked throat. The female Rufous Hummingbird also has rufous colored feathers on the side and base of the tail with white tips.
The Costa’s Hummingbird is the smallest species of hummingbirds seen in Alaska. The male of this species weighs about 3.05g and the female usually weighs a little more, about 3.22g. Identifying the Costa’s Hummingbird is usually accomplished by looking at the feather colors found on the body of this little bird. The male, which is the most colorful of the sexes, has feathers on its back that are metallic green, the feathers covering the throat and crown are violet and the feathers on the breast as well as the longer feathers along the sides of the throat are green. The female is less colorful than the male with feathers on its back and crown that are green, its breast is white while its throat is white with black spots. The feathers located on the sides of its tail are buff with white tips.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is easily identified by the ruby red throat that the male of the species has. The male also has a tail that is forked and a back that is emerald green. The female Ruby-throated hummingbird is identified by a white breast and throat and a tail that is rounded instead of forked. The tail feathers also have white tips and the female’s bill is longer than the male’s bill.
