General: 3 to 3.5 inches in length.

Male: Green back and crown. White chest. Orange-red gorget. Rufous face, flanks, rump, and tail (with dark tips). Long, straight thin bill. Juvinile male similar to female, except tail is like that of the male (rufous with dark tips).

Female: Green back and crown. White underparts. White throat marked with dark flecks and a center grouping of red spots. Immatures lack the spots. Rufous tinge on flanks. Dark tail with a rufous base; white tips on outer tail feathers.

Chaparral, wooded canyons, gardens, mountain meadows, brushlands and Redwood forest edges.

Nesting

2 white eggs with a 17-22 day incubation period. Fledging occurs in 22-25 days. The nest is a tiny, tightly woven cup built on a sheltered tree branch. The nest is often covered in moss, giving it a greenish appearence.

Listen to sounds this bird makes: