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Anna's hummingbird

Hummingbirds, such as the Anna's hummingbird in this photo, are crucial to healthy ecosystems. Because they drink nectar from flowering plants, Anna's hummingbirds are even better pollinators than bumblebees. Native to western coastal regions of North America, they're also highly adaptable. While many other hummingbirds on the Pacific Coast migrate to warmer areas as autumn and winter approach, Anna's hummingbird can survive the cooler temperatures by bulking up its fat stores or, if necessary, slowing down its metabolism to cope with the cold. The bird was named after Anne d'Essling, a French courtier who served as Grand-Maitresse (Mistress of the Robes) to Empress Eugénie de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III, the last monarch to rule France.