User:Peachmandu/Allen's hummingbird

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Description:

Allen's hummingbird is a small bird, with mature adults reaching only 3 to 3.5 in (76 to 89 mm) in length and about 2 to 4 grams in weight. '''The male has a green back and forehead, with rust-colored (rufous) flanks, rump, and tail. The male's throat is an iridescent orange-red. The female and immature Allen's hummingbirds are similarly colored, but lack the iridescent throat patch, instead having a series of speckles on their throats. Females are mostly green, featuring rufous color only on the tail, which also has white tips. Immature Allen's hummingbirds are so similar to the female rufous hummingbird, the two are almost indistinguishable in the field. The lack of a notch in the second rectrix (R2) is considered an important field mark to distinguish the adult male Allen's hummingbird from rufous hummingbird, particularly the hard to distinguish green-backed variety. Both species' breeding seasons and ranges are common factors used to differentiate between the two species in a particular geographical area.'''

Distribution:

'''Allen's hummingbird is common only in the brushy woods, gardens, and meadows of coastal California from Santa Barbara north, and southern coastal Oregon. The nominate race, S. s. sasin, is migratory, and in southern central Mexico.''' Male and female migratory patterns do not match exactly - the males head back north at the start of the year, while the females arrive closer to spring, preparing to breed. 'A second, S. s. sedentarius'', is a permanent resident on the Channel Islands off southern California. This population colonized the Palos Verdes Peninsula of Los Angeles County in the 1960s and has since spread over much of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, south through San Diego County, and east to the western end of Riverside County. The elevations in which these birds breed vary, peaking at around 1,000 feet. ''' As the nominate race lives in a restrictive range, it is increasingly threatened by human actions and habitat loss. This impact is documented through their population decline. In the last fifty years, the Allen's hummingbird has lost about 83% of its population. However, the birds have began adapting to their affected areas by feeding from invasive plants and bird feeders.