Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.

Hummingbirds are known for living fast and furious, and the Allen’s hummingbird is no exception. Its uninspiring common name doesn’t tell us much about the bird but, as is often the case, its scientific binomial is more colorful and poetic. Selasphorus sasin translates as “the flame-carrying hummingbird,” and the male’s iridescent, coppery-red throat gorget is indeed a kind of fire. 🔥 Interestingly, part of the bird’s scientific binomial has its roots in an American indigenous tongue rather than Greek or Latin, as is typically the case. “Sasin” means “hummingbird” in the language of the Nuu-chah-nulth, a group of native peoples who call Vancouver Island home. Unfortunately, the language choice suggests the species occurs that far north, but it does not; the scientific name was assigned because earlier taxonomists believed they were renaming the rufous hummingbird, a species that does occur there.

Most male hummingbirds have a (deserved) reputation for feisty and antagonistic behavior, and they’re also well known for their dramatic aerial displays, or “dances,” to frighten away territorial intruders and demonstrate their sexual fitness. Of our North American hummingbirds, the Allen’s display is among the most impressive. Rising into the air, the male “swings” back and forth in symmetrical arcs, pausing at the top of each arc to shake his body and emit a loud, cricket-like trill with his wings. Next, he flies up to 100 feet (30 meters) into the sky before beginning his “power dive.” He pulls out of this dive just above the object of his display – whether a rival hummingbird, an animal deemed an intruder, or a female he hopes to woo – and emits a loud, metallic shriek with his tail feathers. 😵‍💫

I very rarely get to see one of these fine hummingbirds where I live, but they do occur here. They breed along a band of Pacific coast habitat that receives regular fog, the “moist coastal belt” extending from Southern California well up into Oregon. Although some sources claim the species has experienced an 80% population decline since the 1960s, reputable research papers assert the opposite, showing instead an increase in the population due to human habitat alteration and the introduction of some invasive species. In particular, the introduction of eucalyptus species in California has provided the hummingbirds with a new major nectar source, and garden plants and hummingbird feeders provide additional food sources. As the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology puts it, some groups claim the Allen’s hummingbird population is declining due to “habitat destruction and invasive species…when in fact habitat change and invasive species thus far have been beneficial [to the species].”

Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).

Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.