Rufous Hummingbird

Selasphorus rufus flies through here in spring and fall. If you're lucky you'll see one flying up into the Northwest or making a pit stop on the trip south. Rufous will sometimes overwinter in coastal California from about Santa Barbara to Monterey, if there are enough nectar sources.

VERY easily confused with Allen's Hummingbird. Arnold Small says " the Selasphorus hummingbirds observed in coastal central and northern California are likely to be Rufous Hummingbirds" Rufous likes Ribes, Salvia, manzanitas and most other native plants with tubular flowers.

To bring a Rufous into a winter garden you'll need to plant a mixture of Ribes and Arctostaphylos species.