Close up on Hummingbirds – Anna’s for Now

Posted on December 9, 2023 by

42 Comments

Despite the miserable weather I hid in the shed this morning for a photoshoot with the hummingbirds.

Is there any bird more beautiful than the Anna’s? Not today at least.

This is one of the first birds I learned to identify.

According to Wikipedia, Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna) is a North American species of hummingbird. It was named after Anna Masséna, Duchess of Rivoli.”

Is that a problem?

Not to me it isn’t.

But according to this article in the Audobon, the American Ornithological Society announced earlier this year that, ‘All North American Birds Named After People Will Soon Get New Names.’

I suppose there are some unique cases, that might warrant such a move. (If there was a bird named after Hitler, I would definitely recommend changing it.) But just because it’s named after a person? No more Steller’s Jays? Clark’s Nutcrackers? Or Anna’s Hummingbirds?

A bit of overkill, it seems to me. Perhaps the time and resources could be better spent elsewhere.

Regardless of the name, this hummingbird is a beauty, and I suspect I will be calling it ‘Anna’s’ for the foreseeable future.

~ Susanne

Category: BirdsTags: , , , , ,

42 Comments on “Close up on Hummingbirds – Anna’s for Now”

      • We saw one stirring in a tree in the Desert Botanical Garden in Scottsdale on Monday. It stayed there a long time while another family was trying to take its picture.

      • That was nice of it! I love the Botanical Gardens in Arizona. I’ve been to the ones in Phoenix and Tucson and would love to go back. Should I include Scottsdale’s too in my next visit?

      • Yes. We bought a year-long pass that is good for about 100 gardens, mostly in AZ. If you do come this way please give me a call. We can plan something fun.

  3. They are such beautiful little birds! They stay in Las Vegas all year. I have two feeders for them in my backyard. I wasn’t aware of the name change thing, honestly, it sounds like people are trying to be politically correct.

    • Thanks, John. I’m so happy that they stay here year-round, too! Yes, I think the proposed name changes, are a bit too much!

      • You’re welcome, Susanne. I see no reason to change the names, it’s ridiculous.

  5. Very pretty. Our hummers left at the end of August.

  7. Anna’s is one of the primary species of hummingbirds here. They’re quite attracted to the flowers.

  8. Those vivid splashes of fuschia are gorgeous! But odd that they feel the need to rename it, as you say. I wonder what name they have in mind?

    • I believe they plan to rename birds from including a person’s name, to a more descriptive name describing the bird’s colors and features. That seems more difficult than it sounds when so many varieties of birds look so much alike, and hard to tell apart as is. Maybe I’ll call this one, ‘the bird formerly known as Anna’s hummingbird.’ 😄

  9. Your hummer images are amazing, Susanne! Wow, the colors you caught! I agree that renaming birds is a waste of time because we will all still call them by those names.

  11. That seems like a poor way to spend time – renaming (not the Latin name I hope). Your time lurking in the shed was time well spent! The photos are amazing!

    • I feel the same way. I assume it’s only the popular name and not the Latin name. There were probably a handful of names some found offensive, but rather than deal with those few, they cast a wide net over all of them!

  15. So lovely, thanks for sharing your photographs!

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