And the winner goes to: the Allen's hummingbird

An adult Allen's Hummingbirds is about 3.5 inches long, with a wingspan of about 4 inches. It has an iridescent red throat and a shiny green back, and it weighs about the same as three or four paperclips. Photo by J.J. Meyer

 
The Allen's hummingbird took top honors as Audubon's Bird of the Year for 2014. The tiny bird received nearly 30 percent of votes cast during the organization's recent online poll.

While the Allen’s hummingbird is not considered to be of conservation concern, Audubon researchers fear that could change in the coming years as development and non-native plants continue to chip away at its coastal habitat. 

By 2080, the species could lose up to 90 percent of its breeding range, forcing it to find more hospitable areas elsewhere. To those who love watching these hummingbirds at their feeder, this could be a big loss. 

Click the photo on the column to the right for expert information from the San Diego Safari Park on feeding hummingbirds. And go to backtonatives.org for information on planting native plants in your garden.

Happy Birding!
J.J.