THE ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD, 



{Selasphorus alleni.) 



The Allen's Hummingbirds occupy a 

 very limited and narrow range lying in 

 the Pacific coast regions from the south- 

 ern portion of British Columbia south- 

 wards through the states of Washing- 

 ton, Oregon and California, into Mex- 

 ico. They have also been reported from 

 southern Arizona where at an altitude 

 of forty-five hundred feet, Mr. W. E. D. 

 Scott obtained an adult male in the 

 Santa Catalina Mountains. When flying 

 this Hummingbird very closely re- 

 sembles the rufous species {Selasphorus 

 rufus) which frequents the same terri- 

 tory, and there is no doubt that the 

 bird of our illustration is frequently 

 mistaken for it. Allen's is also called 

 the Green-backed Hummingbird. Its 

 breeding range is undoubtedly co-ex- 

 tensive with its distribution in the 

 United States. It has been reported a 

 common summer resident at Gray's 

 Harbor, Washington, where it seemed 

 to be just as common as the rufus spe- 

 cies. 



This beautiful Hummingbird was first 

 discovered by Mr. Charles A. Allen, at 

 Nicasio, California, and he was later 

 honored in the naming of the species. 

 In a letter written by Mr. Allen to Ma- 

 jor Bendire, and quoted by him in his 

 ''Life Histories of North American 

 Birds," Mr. Allen relates his observa- 

 tions of the habits of these birds at 

 Nicasio, where they arrive about the 

 middle of February and commence 

 nesting soon after. He says: "The 

 earliest date on which I found one (a 

 nest) was February 27, 1879; this was 

 then about half finished, when a heavy 

 storm set in which lasted about five days 

 and T did not visit the locality again un- 

 til March 8, when the nest was com- 

 pleted and contained two fresh eggs. I 

 have taken their nests as late as July 3. 

 and am well convinced that two broods 

 are raised in a season, at least by all of 

 the earlier breeding birds. They select 

 all sorts of situations and various kinds 



of trees and bushes to nest in. I have 

 found their nests as low as ten inches 

 and again as high as ninety feet from 

 the ground." 



All observers of the habits of Allen's 

 Hummingbirds as^ree that their courage 

 is remarkable, and is, perhaps, more 

 marked than that exhibited by any other 

 of the smaller birds. They are also ex- 

 tremely puo:nacious. Mr. Allen says: 

 "I once saw two of these little warriors 

 start after a western red-tailed hawk, 

 and they attacked it so vigorously that 

 the hawk was glad to get out of their 

 way. But these little scamps were even 

 then not satisfied, but helped him long 

 after he had decided to go. Each male 

 seems to claim a particular range, which 

 he occupies for feeding and breeding 

 purposes, and every other bird seen by 

 him encroaching on his preser^^e is at 

 once so determinedly set upon and 

 harassed that he is only too glad to beat 

 a hasty retreat. During their quarrels 

 these birds keep up an incessant, sharp 

 chirping and a harsh, rasping, buzzing 

 with their wings, which sounds very 

 different from the low, soft humming 

 they make with these while feeding. Ev- 

 ery action and motion at such times in- 

 dicates that they are as mad as can be." 

 At such times other birds must get out 

 of their way. The males often noisily 

 quarrel among themselves, and while 

 the females are much more quiet, they, 

 too, quarrel when two or more meet 

 while feeding on the same bush. The 

 misunderstanding ends only when all 

 but one have departed. "During the 

 nesting and breeding season the male 

 frequently shoots straight up into the 

 air and nearly out of siqht, only to turn 

 suddenly and rush headlong down until 

 within a few feet of the ground. The 

 wings, during the downward rushes, 

 cut the air and cause a sharp, whistling 

 screech, as they descend with frightful 

 velocity." Mr. Allen believed that if 

 thev should strike anv obstacle in their 



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